Iran, South Africa hold joint economic commission meeting after 3-year hiatus
Aug 11, 2023
Tehran [Iran], August 11:Iran and South Africa on Thursday convened the 15th session of the Joint Commission of Economic Cooperation in South Africa's administrative capital Pretoria, after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.
During the meeting, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation NalediPandor inked a document on economic cooperation, according to the report.
Leading an Iranian delegation, Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Pretoria on Thursday morning and discussed with Pandor "important bilateral and international issues" on the sidelines of the commission meeting earlier in the day, it said.
In a joint press conference held after the meeting, the Iranian minister underlined the broad potential for the two countries to carry out cooperation.
He said that the two sides also made preparations for documents to be signed during Iranian President EbrahimRaisi's upcoming visit to South Africa later this month.
Raisi is expected to take part in a summit of BRICS Plus after receiving an invitation from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, according to South African media.
Pandor told the press on Monday that South Africa will host the much-anticipated BRICS summit from Aug. 22 to 24, adding that Ramaphosa "has invited 67 leaders from Africa and the Global South to attend the BRICS-Africa outreach and BRICS Plus dialogues."
Source: Xinhua
