South Africa and Benin Republic to promote bilateral relations

South Africa and Benin Republic to promote bilateral relations
Collins Atohengbe, Cape Town

Yayi Boni of Benin Republic and Jacob Zuma of South Africa

South Africa and Benin Republic have pledged to improve relations between the two countries.

South African President, Jacob Zuma, and his visiting Beninese counterpart, Yayi Boni, agreed to upgrade their bilateral agreements which have been expanded to the status of a joint commission, to be co-chaired by their Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

Boni was in South Africa on Thursday on a one-day state visit at the invitation of President Zuma.

Reception

At a reception in his honour in Cape Town, Zuma said the visit was indicative of the warm relations that exist between Cotonou and Pretoria. 

He acknowledged the contribution of African countries to the liberation struggle which paved the way for majority rule and ushered in democracy in South Africa:

“The solidarity of our brothers and sisters in the continent contributed immensely to our attainment of freedom and the ushering in of democracy in our country”

Challenges

President Zuma said, at the end of a closed door bilateral session, that both Benin and South Africa were faced with common socio-economic challenges which include job creation, unemployment, poverty inequality and underdevelopment in critical areas of the economy and which would require much work to be resolved.

“Much work remains to be done and I am convinced that the discussions we held will take us a step higher in working together to resolve these”, he said.

He used the opportunity of the visit to brief his guest on the 17th session of the UN Conference of the Parties on climate change (COP 17)  coming up in Durban and said it should be able to strengthen international partnership for Africa’s green initiatives through the mobilization of the necessary  tools including finance, technology and capacity building.

“We want to challenge the notion that there is a trade-off to be made between faster economic growth and the preservation of our environment. Faster economic growth can be achieved alongside the sustainable management of our natural resources, and without jeopardizing economic growth and the poverty eradication priorities of developing countries. We would like to partner with Benin in greening our economies to achieve the goals we speak of, in order to respond to climate change.”

Both leaders agreed that it is expedient to restructure the United Nations Security Council and the Bretton Woods Institutions.

Ekata