South Africa : SA, Spain to boost political, economic ties

Pretoria - South Africa and Spain are to advance bilateral political and economic relations, among other things, at the South Africa - Spain Annual Consultations on Friday.

South African Deputy Foreign Minister Sue van der Merwe will co-host the event with the Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Angel Lossada at the Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria.

According to a statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the consultations were established in terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between South Africa and Spain in December 2000.

The MoU provides the legal framework for bilateral consultations and cooperation, the department said.

An inaugural meeting and four sessions of the Annual Consultations have been held since 2003, alternately in Spain and South Africa.

The consultations, which are conducted at the level of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, comprise of both political discussions and consultations on technical and development cooperation between representatives of the respective government departments.

Engagements between Deputy Minister van der Merwe and Spanish Secretary of State Lossada at this year's Annual Consultations are expected to include an overview of SA-Spanish bilateral political relations and South Africa's national elections in 2009.

According to the department, the consultations will also discuss the African Agenda and current developments in Africa, including outcomes of the recently held SADC Heads of State Extraordinary Summit in Sandton.

The current global financial crisis and reform of the Bretton Woods institutions will also be on the agenda.

The deputy minister and Spanish Secretary of State will also discuss the reform of the United Nations especially the UN Security Council, and South Africa's relations with the European Union.

According to the department several South African departments, which have cooperation programmes with Spain are also involved in the annual consultations with their Spanish counterparts.

These departments include Trade and Industry, Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Home Affairs, Arts and Culture, Health, Provincial and Local Government as well as Social Development.

Spain is South Africa's ninth most important export market. In 2007, South Africa's exports to Spain totalled Euro 1.5 billion (an increase of nine percent on the 2006 figure), the country's imports from Spain grew by four percent to Euro 800 million in the same year.

South Africa's main exports were coal, fish, fresh fruits, iron and steel products, mechanical appliances and automotive parts and accessories.

The most important products imported from Spain were vehicles, parts and accessories, machinery and mechanical appliances, electrical machinery and equipment, furniture and related products and plastics. - BuaNews