The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor co-chaired the 4th Session of the South Africa-Ethiopia Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) with her counterpart, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, H.E Demeke Mekonnen.
The JMC oversees the implementation of numerous bilateral agreements and Memoranda of Understanding across various sectors, including trade and investment, science and innovation, health, education, and culture.
The JMC was preceded by the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on 27-28 July 2023 and will receive feedback on the Agreed Minutes of the SOM from the co-chairs of the two Working Groups that have been established, namely, Political and Social Working Group and the Economic Working Group.
Diplomatic relations between South Africa and Ethiopia were established in 1994.
In 2004, the two countries signed a General Cooperation Agreement (GCA), which makes provisions for annual meetings of senior officials. In 2008, a Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) was established, which created an overarching framework for cooperation and partnership between the two countries.
In January 2020, President Ramaphosa received Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on an official visit to South Africa.
During the visit, the two leaders emphasised the need to focus more on economic cooperation issues.
Three legal instruments were signed: Waiver of Visas on Diplomatic and Service passports; Memorandum of Understanding on Health Cooperation, and Tourism Cooperation