Members of the media,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to welcome the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, Dr Johann Wadephul, to South Africa, and to brief you on the talks we have just concluded.
Dr Wadephul’s visit follows the 12th Meeting of our Bi-National Commission, held in Berlin in April this year. That meeting marked thirty years of the Commission. It was also the occasion on which our two countries decided to elevate our relationship to a Strategic Partnership and adopted a Joint Action Plan to give practical effect to that decision.
The purpose of today’s talks was to review the progress we have made in implementing that plan.
I am pleased to report that our engagement was frank, warm and productive. We reviewed implementation across the Action Plan, took stock of the progress made and agreed on the areas in which we must move faster.
Germany is South Africa’s most important trading partner in Europe. Some 600 German companies operate in our country and employ approximately 100 000 people.
Our discussions therefore gave close attention to the economic dimension of our partnership.
We discussed the expansion of trade and investment, cooperation on critical raw materials, and the development of a battery value chain that creates value and jobs here in South Africa.
We also discussed the Just Energy Transition Partnership, which supports our shift towards cleaner energy in a manner that is socially just, as well as our long-standing cooperation on vocational education and training. This cooperation speaks directly to the urgent challenge of youth employment.
We agreed to institutionalise regular high-level political dialogue between our two foreign ministries. Our intention is to ensure that engagement of this kind becomes a standing feature of our partnership, rather than an occasional event.
We further agreed to advance practical cooperation on strengthening democratic resilience, including through efforts to counter disinformation, an area in which both our societies face similar pressures.
Beyond our bilateral agenda, we exchanged views on the major international questions of the moment. These included the pursuit of peace and stability on our own continent, particularly in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the war in Ukraine, and the situation in the Middle East.
On the Middle East, I reaffirmed South Africa’s consistent and principled position.
We remain gravely concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. We call for the full implementation of the ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access, and a credible political process leading to a two-state solution, with a viable Palestinian state existing alongside a secure Israel. Our approach is grounded in international law and the United Nations Charter.
South Africa and Germany do not view every aspect of this question in the same way. It is precisely because of the strength of our partnership that we are able to discuss our differences openly and in good faith. I welcomed the candour of our exchange.
As Chair of the Southern African Development Community, and ahead of the Summit that we will host next month, I briefed Dr Wadephul on our regional priorities. These include industrialisation, agricultural transformation and the energy transition, alongside our support for African-led efforts to secure peace and stability in our region.
I also expressed South Africa’s appreciation for Germany’s principled support for an inclusive G20, and for its view that the forum should not be diminished.
South Africa was proud to host the first G20 Summit on African soil last year. We will continue to defend the inclusivity and integrity of that forum.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION
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