Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.21
By Elmira Tariverdiyeva - Trend:
The government of South Africa attaches great importance to the ties with Azerbaijan and looks forward to enhancing the relations further, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the South African Republic Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said at the joint press briefing with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, the Foreign Ministry of the South African Republic said on Feb.21.
"Azerbaijan is a rapidly developing young democracy with a steadily growing economy and a stable political system. Today, Azerbaijan is ranked among the world's leading oil and gas producers following the intense investment and development of its reserves since independence. This led to unprecedented economic growth and expansion. Therefore, it is our hope that South Africa and Azerbaijan can learn from each other in order to enhance the quality of life of the people of our countries," the minister said.
The discussions today have resulted in the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Regular Political Consultations, according to the minister.
"The MoU is an important starting point for the development of the necessary legal instruments for the strengthening of our relations," Nkoana-Mashabane said.
There is a wide scope for the development of mutually beneficial relations in various fields such as energy, defence, education and skills development, trade and investment, according to the minister.
"There is still significant work to be done to realise our goals in these areas and the Protocol on Political Consultations that we have just signed is an important starting point for our relations," Nkoana-Mashabane said.
The minister concluded by congratulating Azerbaijan on the completion of its first tenure in the UN Security Council.