ASEAN intends to deepen relations with South Africa
THE Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam have relayed their intention to deepen relations with South Africa.
The inter-departmental meeting was convened by the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) on October 31, 2022, in line with the country’s intent to become a sectoral dialogue partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The meeting was co-chaired by DIRCO Acting Deputy Director General for Asia and the Middle East Ntombizodwa M. Lallie, and Singaporean High Commissioner Zainal Arif Mantaha in the latter’s capacity as current Chair of the ASEAN-Pretoria Committee (APC).
Representing the ASEAN-Pretoria Committee (APC), High Commissioner Mantaha gave a comprehensive overview of the regional organization, with particular emphasis on the three pillars of ASEAN community-building efforts, namely, political-security, economic, and socio-cultural.
Philippine Ambassador to South Africa Noralyn Jubaira Baja, in her intervention, said that the Philippines welcomed South Africa’s intent to elevate its partnership with ASEAN as such development paves the way for the further convergence of both countries’ interests across a broad spectrum of sectors.
She underscored that establishing a structured relationship between South Africa and ASEAN is the way to go since both sides have common challenges and shared aspirations, such as attaining inclusive growth and sustainable development and transforming the youth as active partners for national development, among others.
The activity is aligned with the APC’s mandate of raising the profile of ASEAN in South Africa, as well as deepening the linkages between one of the African continent’s powerhouses and the Southeast Asian region.
