It was time to extend the healthy bilateral ties between South Africa and Egypt to the field of trade, Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said on Monday.
”I once again urge our businessmen and women to explore the vast number of opportunities available in both countries,” she said in Pretoria.
Dlamini-Zuma spoke at the opening of the sixth session of the South African-Egyptian joint bilateral commission at the Presidential Guest House.
She co-chairs the two-day meeting with her Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Maher El-Sayed.
Dlamini-Zuma said relations between the two countries had grown in virtually all facets of government since they resumed diplomatic ties in 1994.
”Regrettably, however, the trade exchanges between our two countries do not reflect these extremely good relations.”
South African exports to Egypt rose from R139,8-million in 1999 to R274,4-million in 2001. Imports from Egypt declined from R82,3-million to R72,8-million over the same period.
Dlamini-Zuma said: ”Our collective challenge is to see a definite positive change in the trade statistics when we meet for the seventh session.”
She said the enduring links between the two countries was evident in their leading roles in the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad).
South Africa and Egypt should also join forces to help get AU organs such as the Peace And Security Council, and the pan African Parliament up and running.
Describing this as an urgent priority, Dlamini-Zuma said collective action to end conflict and promote peace would create conditions for economic development.
”Nepad holds real prospects for lifting the continent out of the abyss of poverty and underdevelopment.”
South Africa and Egypt should also seek to keep the attention of the international community focused on the plight of the poor and victims of war.
”Our common humanity should not allow us to be content where there are those that are living in conditions of war and in conditions of squalor and abject poverty,” Dlamini-Zuma said. – Sapa