Iran’s Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, will hold talks with Sasol chief executive Pat Davies and several government officials during a two-day visit to South Africa this week, said the Department of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.
South African imports from Iran — chiefly of oil — amounted to R14,3-billion last year, said departmental spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa. This created a R13,5-billion trade imbalance in Iran’s favour, despite significantly increased bilateral trade since 1994.
”In 2005, annual exports from South Africa to Iran amounted to R785,2-million compared to R301,4-million in 2003 and R348,8-million in 2004,” said Mamoepa.
He said Iranian health professions have been contracted to work in South Africa and Sasol and MTN are benefiting from multimillion-dollar projects in Iran.
During his stay on Monday and Tuesday, Mottaki will also hold talks with Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry Buyelwa Sonjica; Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa; and Minister of Science and Technology Mosibudi Mangena.
He will also attend a joint bilateral commission co-hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. On the agenda will be Iran’s nuclear programme, said Mamoepa.
Tehran has rejected a plea by the United Nations Security Council to halt its enrichment of uranium — a step in the making of nuclear weapons — by August 31, instead insisting it will expand enrichment. It contends that the enrichment and other nuclear programmes are civilian in nature.
Tehran has indicated it will respond on Tuesday to a package of incentives offered by the United States and Europe aimed at enticing it to suspend enrichment.
Also up for discussion at the joint bilateral commission will be cooperation in the health, mining, science, arts, culture and sports sectors, the Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa, the Middle East crisis, the coming New African and Asian Strategic Partnership meeting, and cooperation between Indian Ocean Rim countries.
Dlamini-Zuma will be promoting south-south cooperation for increased market access, trade and investment, with a view to consolidating the African agenda.
Mamoepa said it is expected that an agreement will be signed on cooperation between the customs administrations of the two countries. — Sapa