India-South Africa Joint Ministerial Commission held in Delhi

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane was in India on 7 and 8 March 2011 for the South Africa - India JMC Bilateral Relations and an IBSA Ministerial Meeting.

The 8th session of India-South Africa Joint Ministerial Commission took place in New Delhi on 7th March 2011. The Minister of External Affairs of India S.M. Krishna, together with his South African counterpart Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, co-chaired the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC). The Agreed Minutes of the 8th session of India- South Africa JMC were signed by the two Foreign Ministers.

Both India and South Africa agreed for an early finalisation of SACU-India Preferential Trade Agreement.

At the commission discussions were held at the seven different Sub- Committees in the areas of:

(i)     Political, Defence and Security Matters,
(ii)    Trade, Economic and Technical Co-operation,
(iii)    Communications & Information Technology,
(iv)    Minerals and Energy
(v)     Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation,
(vi)    Human Resource Development, and
(vii)   Consular and Immigration Matters.

Both India and South Africa reviewed the implementation of the existing MOUs/ Agreements and the functioning of the Joint working Groups under them and new areas of cooperation. The Commission helped to establish depth and diversity in the India-South African relationship.

During the meeting the two sides discussed a wide range of subjects of bilateral interest covering political, economic cooperation, trade and investment, infrastructure, mineral resources, agriculture, Information and communication technology, cultural relations, security cooperation and visa and consular matters.

The target set by Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and President Jacob Zuma during the latter’s visit to India in June 2010 of bilateral trade of 10 billion US dollars by the year 2012 is likely to be achieved in the current financial year 2010-11. The two countries are currently working to achieve a higher trade target.

The two sides reaffirmed their intent to cooperate at regional and multilateral fora including UN, G-77, G-20, IOR-ARC, IBSA and BRIC.

India welcomed South Africa into BRIC, to which it has been recently admitted and South Africa in return welcomed Indian Chairmanship of IOR-ARC.

India was assured of South Africa's support at the Second India Africa Forum Summit scheduled to be held in Addis Ababa in May 2011. Both India and South Africa have joined the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member for the period 2011-12 and would work together in the Council to hasten the process of reform of the United Nations including reform of the Security Council.