The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, will on Wednesday co-chair the South Africa-Tanzania Ministerial Bi-National Commission (BNC) with her Tanzanian counterpart, Dr Stergomena Tax, in Pretoria.
The BNC will take place ahead of the State Visit to South Africa by the President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan on Thursday, at the invitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The BNC will, according to the department, reaffirm and deepen the warm and cordial bilateral relations that exist between the two countries.
“It will evaluate the progress of implementation of commitments made during the inaugural session of the BNC, assess and evaluate the progress of all outstanding decisions and commitments as well as joint projects.”
In addition, the meeting aims to agree on new areas of cooperation and further enhance cooperation within the framework of the BNC.
The Minister also hopes to deepen understanding of regional, multilateral, and global issues of mutual concern.
The commission comprises four committees, including political and diplomatic, defence and security, economic affairs, and social and cultural affairs.
The BNC is a platform for strengthening cooperation, especially in areas such as trade and investment, infrastructure, transport, energy, water, science and innovation, education, defence, agriculture, environment, health, and culture, among others.
South Africa and Tanzania enjoy historical relations as well as political, economic and social relations, which were cemented during the period of the liberation struggle.
South Africa and Tanzania have similar aspirations with strong cultural and historical ties.
These ties present opportunities for strengthened bilateral cooperation in many areas including trade, investment, local beneficiation, agriculture, industrialisation, energy, and mining.
There are also opportunities in the value chains of commerce, agriculture, road, and rail.
Through mutually beneficial investments and projects, these areas of cooperation have the potential for a constructive and concrete impact on the economies of the two countries.
Source: Nam News Network (NNN)