Rome, 1 November 2021 (TDI): US State Secretary Antony J. Blinken held a meeting with South Africa’s Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Naledi Pandor, yesterday in Rome.
Secretary Blinken expressed great pleasure over his meeting with the South African Foreign Minister. The officials discussed ways to strengthen regional security cooperation and also exchanged views on the shared priorities. These include tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, promulgating democracy, and managing the climate crisis.
Good to meet with DIRCO’s Minister Pandor, today. We underscored the strong U.S.-South African partnership based on shared priorities such as COVID-19, climate change, and democracy, while working together on regional security cooperation. pic.twitter.com/DlmH5Dvzwx
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 31, 2021
The US State Secretary lauded South African leadership in improvising the health infrastructure, promoting democratic values, and bringing prosperity to the region. He also expressed contentment over Washington’s strong partnership with the country.
During the meeting with Secretary Blinken, Foreign Minister Pandor reiterated that her department envisions making Southern Africa a peaceful, prosperous, and just region. She further anticipated protecting South Africa’s national interests by forming strategic relations with the outside world.
The officials met in Rome on the sidelines of the two-day Group of 20 (G20) Summit. Apart from discussing the US-South Africa bilateral relations, they also expressed concerns over the humanitarian crisis facing Sudan and Ethiopia.
