South Africa, Germany hold talks to strengthen ties

South Africa, Germany hold talks to strengthen ties

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on official visit to South Africa until Friday

By Hassan Isilow

PRETORIA, South Africa (AA) - South Africa and Germany Thursday agreed to deepen bilateral ties during a meeting between visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel and host President Cyril Ramaphosa in the capital Pretoria.

“From our discussions earlier today, it is clear that there is solid political will from the leadership of both countries to ensure that we deepen economic ties,’’ Ramaphosa said in an address delivered at the South Africa-Germany business roundtable meeting in Pretoria.

He thanked Merkel for honoring the visit to South Africa and bringing a large delegation of distinguished German business leaders on her trip.

“Germany is South Africa’s second largest trading partner, a major investor, a significant tourism market, and a most valued developmental partner,” Ramaphosa said earlier at a joint media briefing with the chancellor.

There are over 500 German companies in South Africa which have created over 100,000 jobs in Africa’s most industrialized economy.

The two leaders whose countries are both non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council also had a chance to discuss several issues on the Security Council agenda.

For her part, Merkel said Germany is willing to help solve South Africa’s energy crisis, with a focus on renewable energy and gas power plants.

Merkel is on an official visit to South Africa until Friday.

South Africa, which relies 95% on coal power plants to generate electricity, has recently been experiencing power cuts due to aging power plants, impacting business heavily.

She also spoke about the importance of conflict resolution on the African continent, in particular with reference to conflicts in Libya and the Sahel, saying an African solution to these conflicts was necessary.

The two leaders also held bilateral talks and signed the joint initiative on the promotion of vocational training in a bid to help South Africa fight unemployment.

Germany is one of the world’s most admired countries in terms of vocational training.

“We look forward to finding ways for us to learn from each other’s experiences and build a world-class skills development system for young people in South Africa,’’ Ramaphosa said.

He said they agreed with Merkel that there was a need for German businesses to deepen their presence in South Africa and expand their operations, and that they should cooperate to see greater levels of German investment in South Africa.

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