Bilateral discussions to strengthen ties

By Mikhaila Crowie
20 March 2009

South African Foreign Affairs Minister Nkozasana Dlamini Zuma arrived in the USA to hold discussions with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The aim of the dicussion is to strengthen the existing relations between South African and the United States of America.

America remains one of South Africa’s largest trading partners.

The meeting between Minister Dlamini Zuma and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the first since the appointment and confirmation of Hillary Clinton as the new US Secretary of State.

Dlamini Zuma said it was certainly a pleasure to meet the Secretary of State in a new capacity.

“We have this opportunity to really look at our bilateral relations and to see how to strengthen it and to see how to broaden it and how to co-operate in many other areas of mutual interest.”

Clinton was also said to be very excited about the meeting and said there was a lot to discuss.

“We have so many important issues to discuss with South Africa. And the opportunities for us to have a comprehensive relationship that touches on all of these important matters is very exciting to me, Madame Minister.”