The EU and South Africa have agreed to deepen their strategic partnership, particularly in the areas of health and the production of mRNA vaccines, climate, renewable energy and green transition, at the end of the fifteenth ministerial political dialogue, which took place on Friday 27 January in Pretoria under the chairmanship of the South African Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, and the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell (see EUROPE 13107/16). The meeting ended without a joint statement.
At a time of major international instability, both sides found the discussions “fruitful”, and stressed the importance of the partnership, even if disagreements remain over the war in Ukraine.
“Our partnership remains strategic”, Pandor told a press conference. She welcomed in-depth discussions that will contribute to the preparation of the eighth EU/South Africa summit, which will be hosted this year in Pretoria at a date yet to be determined, “but certainly in the first half of this year”, she said.
“We don’t agree on everything, but we continue to be strategic partners”, Borrell said, speaking alongside her, noting that the EU is South Africa’s largest trading partner (with a record level in 2021 of €44 billion) and that European companies contribute a large share of foreign direct investment in the country.
He also stressed the “huge potential” of cooperation with South Africa “to build peace and security”, such as in Ethiopia, where a peace agreement was facilitated, in Mozambique or in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ukraine. Rather than forcing South Africa to take sides against Russia - Josep Borrell has denied this - the EU is counting on South Africa to use its good relations with Russia to ask it to stop the war. “Every country has the right to conduct its foreign policy according to its own interests. This also applies to Ukraine. 140 States condemned the aggression. We know that South Africa respects the UN Charter. From a legal point of view, the Russian invasion is illegal”, Borrell insisted.
Pandor said, “It’s not just African countries that need to seek peace, but all of us, because we are interconnected”. She added: “This is a global problem. As a global community, let’s all work together to achieve a result!”
Health. Both sides are committed to working together to strengthen the global health architecture, including through the negotiation of a WHO agreement on pandemics.
Climate and green transition. Borrell stressed the EU’s support for South Africa’s vision in implementing its transition to greener and cleaner energy.
Both parties reiterated the importance of the Just Energy Transition Partnership signed at the COP27 on climate between South Africa, France, Germany, the UK and the US.
The EU and its Member States are supporting South Africa’s investment plan for a just energy transition with 35 million in grants and 1 billion in soft loans.
Asked about the progress of this plan, Ms Pandor said that the financing needs of the projects had been estimated at $98 billion and that her country would like to see a reduction in the share of subsidised loans, even if it means seeking out financial institutions offering more advantageous conditions. “The move away from coal will not happen overnight”, she added.
In Pretoria, the European Commission announced that the EU and its Member States will invest more than €280 million in grants in South Africa, including €87.75 million from the EU budget, to support green recovery and unlock green investment, as part of the Global Gateway’s ‘Just and Green Recovery’ initiative. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)