The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has denied allegations of strained relations between South Africa and the European Union (EU).
This follows certain media reports alleging that South Africa did not respond to the EU’s requests for a high-level summit, leading to speculation about tensions between the two sides.
However, DIRCO and the delegation of the EU to South Africa said they “regret the misrepresentation” made by the media outlets.
The EU delegation to South Africa issued a statement on Tuesday, rejecting “the misrepresentation made by the media outlets Bloomberg and News 24” regarding this matter.
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“On the contrary, South Africa and the European Union have maintained a regular exchange throughout 2023 in order to prepare their bilateral Summit. This includes a Ministerial Forum in South Africa in January 2023, bilateral contacts at Heads of State level, and ministerial visits to both Pretoria and Brussels.”
Dirco believes that those contacts have been intensified and strengthened since the beginning of 2024 through a Bilateral Meeting between Minister Naledi Pandor and High Representative Josep Borrell Fontelles on the margins of the G20 Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Brazil.
According to the department, the SA-EU relations have also been reinforced by Deputy Minister Alvin Botes’s visit to Brussels to participate in the Indo-Pacific Forum and the visit of EU Ambassadors from the Political and Security Committee to Pretoria.
The department said that it was in this context that they reject the claim made by the media outlets that the delays to the summit are sending a negative signal about future relations between the EU and South Africa.
“Against this backdrop of partnership and dialogue, and in a decisive year for democracy and multilateralism across the world, South Africa and the European Union continue to work closely together and, as part of it, to identify a suitable date for their bilateral summit,” the department explained.
Dear @news24 & @Bloomberg, this is false and misleading indeed. South Africa & the EU are working closely towards holding Summit. A quick check in with me or @Zwandid would have confirmed that for you. https://t.co/PWZ5Xd9W2l
— Sandra Kramer (@SandraKramerEU) April 8, 2024
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