South Africa vows to strengthen relations with RI

South Africa vows to strengthen relations with RI

Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

South Africa wants to improve its overall relationship and form a
strategic partnership with Indonesia, its Foreign Minister
Nkosozana Dlamini Zuma said in Jakarta.

Dlamini Zuma, who arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday, and her
Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirayuda met on Friday and signed
an agreement to boost economic, political and cultural ties.

"We have signed an agreement to establish a joint commission
on bilateral cooperation," Dlamini Zuma, a medical doctor turned
politician, told The Jakarta Post in an exclusive interview at
the Hotel Mulia Senayan in Jakarta.

The new agreement, which is aimed at increasing bilateral
trade and investment, will open a new chapter in the two
countries' relations.

The countries have signed agreements on the avoidance of
double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion.

South Africa and Indonesia have maintained good relations at
the political level but trade between the two countries remains
low.

"Our trade with Indonesia is still too low, though it has been
growing at a faster rate," Dlamini Zuma, who has been the foreign
minister since 1999, said.

Indonesia's exports to South Africa surged to US$233 million
in 2003 from $160 million in 2001, and imports grew to $158
million in 2003 from $141 million in 2001.

Overall trade between the two countries in 2003 was $391
million and does not reflect the potential of both countries.

Indonesia has a population of over 220 million and a GDP of
$758 billion, while South Africa's population is 42 million and
its GDP $456 billion. Both countries are rich and boast abundant
natural resources, albeit a majority of their populations are
still poor.

South Africa, according to Dlamini Zuma, wants to enhance its
cooperation with Indonesia in all areas, not just economically.

"We have a firm political cooperation, but we think this is
not enough. We wanted to improve our relations with Indonesia in
social and cultural aspects and other areas, like people-to-
people contacts and academic exchanges," Dlamini Zuma said.

She said Indonesia and South Africa were developing countries
and were facing the same problems like poverty, unemployment,
corruption and human rights violations.

"We can share our experiences with Indonesia and Indonesia can
share its experiences with us," she added.

South Africa sees Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim
nation, as an important country in this part of the world.

"Since our freedom from the apartheid regime in 1994, during
the last 10 years we concentrated on establishing democratic
institutions, providing basic needs, building infrastructure and
establishing diplomatic relations with all the countries in the
world. Now our priority is to deepen our relations with some
selected important countries. Indonesia is one of these," the
minister said.

With this objective and to promote Afro-Asian solidarity,
South African President Thabo Mbeki will visit Indonesia in April
2005, she said.

Dlamini Zuma, South Africa's first woman foreign minister,
told the Post that improving bilateral relations was not the only
item on her agenda during her stay in Jakarta

"The main purpose of my visit to Jakarta is two-fold. The
first is to evaluate our existing bilateral relations with
Indonesia and what can be done to improve them. The other one is
to discuss the preparations for the forthcoming Afro-Asian
Summit," Dlamini Zuma told The Jakarta Post

Though the overall tone and tenor of Dlamini Zuma and Hassan
were determined by the expanding strategic contours of Indonesian
and South African relations, both countries see far bigger things
ahead.

Both countries envisage greater cooperation between the
peoples of Asia and Africa.

"In 1955 our leaders from Africa and Asia met in Bandung to
fight against colonialism and promote solidarity among the people
of these two continents. Now the situation has changed and we
have so many new challenges. In the spirit of the Bandung
Conference, South Africa and Indonesia want to find ways to
promote cooperation and solidarity among Africans and Asians
through this Afro-Asian Summit," Dlamini Zuma, who was honored by
the International Women's Forum in 2002, said.

Indonesia will host the Asian-African Summit in Jakarta and
Bandung from April 21 to April 23, 2005.

When asked about the relevance of the Non-Aligned Movement
(NAM) and the United Nations after the end of the Cold War,
Dlamini Zuma said both NAM and the UN could continue to play a
positive role.

"I agree we don't have a Cold War anymore. It doesn't mean we
don't have problems or challenges. Both the organizations are
still relevant to meet new challenges. We stay together, work
together and fight together to achieve our common objectives,"
she said.