Johannesburg - Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will be meeting up with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who will be visiting South Africa from today until January 28.
"The US Treasury Secretary will meet the Minister of Finance in a bilateral as part of her South Africa visit. Areas of co-operation and mutual benefit between the two economies will be discussed to further the already fruitful ties between the two states," according to the department.
This rounds off a busy diplomatic week for South Africa, as yesterday, Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Naledi Pandor had bilateral political consultations with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov.
Pandor said that last year, 2022, marked the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Africa and the Russian Federation.
"The rich history of our relations dates back to the period of South Africans' quest for political and economic freedom, and the support that the Russian Federation, as part of the Soviet Union, provided," she said.
“South Africa and Russia can and must do more to develop and capitalise on opportunities to increase our economic co-operation,” she added, “especially as both countries are part of the BRICS forum.”
She said that the current global geopolitical tensions clearly signal the need to create institutional mechanisms that will have the stature and global trust to promote and support global peace and security, and she said BRICS should play a proactive role in emerging processes and ensure it is part of a redesigned global order.
Meanwhile, the National Freedom Party (NFP) says it is strongly opposed to the US House of Representatives' draft law, "Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act," which seeks to outline US efforts to counter Russia's influence and activity in Africa.
The party said it supports the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (DIRCO) in their efforts to hold a Russia-Africa summit this year in St. Petersburg.
NFP leader in Parliament, Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam, said the party urged all African nations to stand united in their opposition to the US draft law, and to work towards fostering a respectful and mutually beneficial relationship with Russia and all other countries.
The Star