External Affairs Minister landed in Johannesburg on 3rd June afternoon and was received by South Africa Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Luwellyn Landers. She is visiting South Africa to attend the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting in Pretoria
as well as to chair a meeting of IBSA Foreign Ministers on the sidelines. She will also be visiting Durban to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Pietermaritzburg incident which acted as a catalyst for Mahatma Gandhi to practise satyagraha against injustice
and colonialism.
In the evening, EAM called on President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa. Welcoming EAM to South Africa, the President revelled warmly his meeting with Prime Minister Modi at the Commonwealth Summit and conveyed his commitment to take the bilateral relations
to the next level. EAM conveyed her felicitations on his assumption of office as President and mentioned that the year 2018 was of special significance for both India and South Africa since we were commemorating the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations
between the two countries, 100th birth anniversary of the iconic leader Nelson Mandela and the 125th anniversary of the Pietermaritzburg incident of Mahatma Gandhi. The enhanced engagement between the two countries, especially in the aftermath of the India-South
Africa Business Summit, and greater cooperation in areas such as skill development, agriculture, IT etc were also discussed. President Ramaphosa recalled the great legacy left behind by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa for future generations.
Johannesburg
June 04, 2018