South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane on Tuesday said the State recognised that the level and momentum of the country’s trade, economic relations and technical cooperation efforts needed to be improved.

Nkoana-Mashabane addressed the media after a bilateral meeting with visiting Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, at which the Ministers sought to finalise the preparations for the planned State visit of Russian Federation President Vadimir Putin on March 28.

Nkoana-Mashabane said discussions focused on the operationalisation of a high-level bilateral mechanism as agreed upon in Moscow, agreements due to be signed, as well as decisions taken during a visit to Moscow by the South African Minister of Defence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula in January.

She added that South African and Russian Federation diplomatic and political relations were “excellent” and were practically demonstrated by close cooperation and a convergence of views on several regional and multilateral issues in Africa and elsewhere.

“Our challenge and priority going forward is to focus our attention and resources on critical priorities, concrete projects and instruments that will enhance our economic relations and technical cooperation, while simultaneously identifying and addressing the challenges that constrain our economic relations and technical cooperation,” said the Minister.

She added that there was scope for substantive and mutually beneficial cooperation arising from previously agreed and pending agreements.

Lavrov, who was on the first leg of a week-long Africa tour, added that the Russian Federation encouraged more frequent dialogue and engagement with South Africa in a bid to develop a strategic dialogue around key issues relevant to both States.

Nuclear Denouncement

Meanwhile, both Nkoana-Mashabane and Lavrov took the opportunity to condemn the latest nuclear test carried out by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday.

“The test is a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and South Africa calls on the DPRK not to conduct any further nuclear tests and to return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) without delay,” said Nkoana-Mashabane.

She further urged the DPRK to verifiably dismantle any nuclear weapons, place all its facilities under comprehensive International Atomic Energy Agency verification, and contribute through strengthened confidence-building measures to global nuclear disarmament and nuclear nonproliferation.

“At the same time, South Africa recognises the rights of all NPT member states to legitimately develop nuclear energy for peaceful civilian purposes.

However, the actions of the DPRK are categorically denounced,” she said.

Lavrov added that the ongoing nuclear testing by the DPRK was in contravention of international law and appealed for the government of that country to consider legal alternatives to international relations issues.

“Approaching a state of peace in the north-east Asian countries is an absolute priority,” he said.