BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

29/08/2006

SA, Belarus find common ground

Johannesburg - South Africa and Belarus have entered into an agreement that seeks to enhance bilateral economic co-operation between the two countries, the South African government news agency BuaNews reported.

The focus is expected to fall on laser technology, physics and space technologies.

South African foreign affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and her Belarusian counterpart Sergey Martynov signed an agreement on economic co-operation in the areas of trade and science and technology at the Presidential guest house in Pretoria.

Dlamini-Zuma said: "Politically, we are both members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) so we have a lot in common.

"We also looked at the United Nations security council and how we can co-operate there as well as in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

Martinov told AFP that his country, shunned by the United States and the European Union, wanted to create "a dense fabric" of ties with South Africa.

"We want high-level visits from heads of states downwards and a dense fabric of contacts," Martinov said.

"Our people in industry, technology and academia are interested in working with South Africans."

"We are like-minded on how the world should be run and how the United Nations system should be changed," he said.

South African exports to Belarus last year totalled R3.4 million while imports were worth R20.2 million. - I-Net Bridge and AFP

Source:

http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?from=rss_Business%20Report&fArticleId=3416756