NEW DELHI: South African Vice President Chibukusa Paulus Machatele on Tuesday met Vice President CP Radhakrishnan here during his official visit to India where the two leaders discussed trade, skill development, defense and other issues.
The Vice President of South Africa is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes senior ministers and government officials.
During the meeting, the two leaders held comprehensive discussions aimed at strengthening the long-standing partnership between India and South Africa, the Vice President’s Secretariat said.
Key focus areas included trade and investment, defense cooperation, skills development and promotion of people-to-people exchanges.
The leaders also exchanged views on issues related to the Global South and discussed expanding cooperation through multilateral platforms such as BRICS, G20, IBSA and Eura.
The two sides stressed the importance of unleashing the full potential of bilateral economic relations and creating a conducive environment for companies and investors.
Vice President Radhakrishnan highlighted the proposed preferential trade agreement between India and South Africa and expressed hope for the early commencement and successful conclusion of the negotiations.
Defense cooperation also featured prominently in the discussions. The leaders welcomed the growing cooperation between the two countries and expressed optimism about future editions of the Epsamar naval exercises involving India, Brazil and South Africa.
The Vice President thanked South Africa for its support to the Indian Cheetah Project by relocating cheetahs.
Noting the encouraging progress achieved by the programme, including successful breeding in the wild, he sought continued South African cooperation in the conservation initiative.
Radhakrishnan also called on South Africa to consider joining global initiatives led by India such as the International Solar Alliance, the Alliance for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the International Big Cat Alliance, noting their common goals of sustainable development and environmental protection.
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