Pretoria – South Africa will continue building its political and economic relations with the United States and United Nations institutions this week.
International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister, Marius Fransman, arrived in New York today for a working visit with the two parties.
“This working visit takes place within the context of strengthening the important bilateral and multilateral partnership with the United States and the United Nations (and its institutions) focusing on promoting South Africa’s national priorities and maintaining strategic platforms of co-operation,” said the department’s Clayson Monyela.
During the visit, Fransman will hold a bilateral meeting with the UN development programme regional director for Africa, where issues of the status of the proposed strategic partnership between the UNDP and South Africa will be discussed.
Fransman will also attend and deliver a statement at the opening of the annual session of the Executive Board of the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS, which South Africa is a member of.
He is also scheduled to visit the New York Stock Exchange to meet with South African companies listed at the New York Securities Exchange in preparation of the Stock Exchanges Conference to be held in South Africa later in the year.
The week-long visit will also see the deputy minister visiting Washington DC, where he is expected to address a seminar at the CSIS/Woodrow Wilson Centre for International Scholars in Washington on a number of issues, such as economic diplomacy, investment in Africa, BRICS and regional integration. – BuaNews
