Undersecretary Carolina Valdivia chairs the VII meeting of Political Consultations between Chile and South Africa

The Undersecretary of Foreign Relations, Carolina Valdivia, chaired today, joined by the Vice Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, Alvin Botes, the VII Meeting of Political Consultations between Chile and South Africa.

On the occasion, both authorities reviewed the main areas of the bilateral relationship, such as science and technology, astronomy, Antarctic cooperation, mining, and trade and investment. They also held the advanced negotiation process to establish a Memorandum of Understanding on fisheries and aquaculture, and a Cooperation Agreement on social development.

During the meeting, the authorities highlighted the trajectory of the Nelson Mandela Scholarship Program, led by the Chilean Agency for International Development Cooperation (AGCID) and which has benefited students from South Africa and other Southern African countries with postgraduate studies and diplomas in Chilean universities.

At a multilateral level, the proposals of both countries were addressed to globally face the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the Chilean case, Undersecretary Valdivia expressed the importance for our country of signing an international treaty against pandemics. In relation to the agenda against climate change, both countries indicated their current commitments in terms of mitigation and adaptation.

The meeting confirmed the good state of relations between Chile and South Africa, a country of an enormous influence on the African continent, and with which Chile shares its commitment to multilateralism and respect for international law. In this context, it was recalled that 2021 will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two States.

The meeting was also attended by the Director of the Middle East and Africa, Ambassador María Pía Busta, the Ambassador of Chile in South Africa, Francisco Berguño, and the Ambassador of South Africa in Chile, George Monyemangene.