🇿🇦🇰🇿| Head of Mission-Designate of the Republic of Kazakhstan, HE Mr Yerkin Akhinzhanov presents his Letters of Credence to HE President Cyril Ramaphosa
🇿🇦🇵🇰Head of Mission-Designate of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, HE Mr Aftab Hasan Khan presents his Letters of Credence to HE President Cyril Ramaphosa.
🇿🇦🇸🇾| Head of Mission-Designate of Syrian Arab Republic, HE Mr Bassam Darwish presents his Letters of Credence to HE President Cyril Ramaphosa.
🇿🇦🇲🇿| Head of Mission-Designate of the Republic of Mozambique, HE Mrs Maria Manuela dos Santos Lucas presents his Letters of Credence to HE President Cyril Ramaphosa.
🇿🇦🇦🇺| Head of Mission-Designate of Commonwealth of Australia, HE Ms Tegan Elizabeth Brink presents her Letters of Credence to HE President Cyril Ramaphosa.
🇿🇦🇧🇼 Head of Mission-Designate of the Republic of Botswana, HE Ms Sanji Mmasenono Monageng presents her Letters of Credence to HE President Cyril Ramaphosa.
🇿🇦🇯🇵 Head of Mission-Designate of Japan, HE Mr Ushio Shigeru presents his Letters of Credence to HE President Cyril Ramaphosa.
🇿🇦🇸🇮Head of Mission-Designate of the Republic of Slovenia, HE Mr Sašo Podlesnik.
🇿🇦🇹🇱 Head of Mission-Designate of the Democratic Republic of East Timor, HE Mr Francisco Miranda Branco.
🇿🇦🇰🇳 Head of Mission-Designate of the St Kitts and Nevis, HE Ms Verna Uwana Mills.
🇿🇦🇸🇸 Head of Mission-Designate of the Republic of South Sudan, HE Mr Simon Duku Michael.
🇿🇦🇬🇲 Head of Mission-Designate of the Republic of The Gambia, HE Mrs Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay.
🇿🇦🇧🇪Head of Mission-Designate of the Kingdom of Belgium, HE Mr Paul Jansen.
🇿🇦🇦🇹 Head of Mission-Designate of the Republic of Austria, HE Mrs. Romana Königsbrun.
🇿🇦🇳🇴Head of Mission-Designate of the Kingdom of Norway, HE Mr. Gjermund Saether.
🇿🇦🇳🇵Head of Mission-Designate of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, HE Mr Dan Bahadur Tamang.
🇿🇦🇱🇰Head of Mission-Designate of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, HE Prof. Gamini Gunawardena.
🇿🇦🇵🇭 Head of Mission-Designate of the Republic of the Philippines, HE Ms Noralyn Jubaira Baja📷: Jacoline Schoonees/Dirco #DIRCO
15 March 2023
President Cyril Ramaphosa, on Thursday, 14 March 2023, received Letters of Credence from Ambassadors and High Commissioners-designate the credentials ceremony at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria.
Heads of Mission-designates were from the following countries: Kazakhstan, Norway, Pakistan, Mozambique, Australia, Japan, Botswana, Slovenia, Syria, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Belgium, South Sudan, Gambia, East Timor,
Welcome remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa
Welcome remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Presentation of Letters of Credence of New Heads of Mission accredited to South Africa, Sefako Makgatho Guest House, Tshwane
Ambassadors and High Commissioners, Directors-General in the Presidency and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome all the new heads of mission as you begin your tenure as representatives of your respective countries to the Republic of South Africa.
Your presence here is a firm indication of the commitment of your respective governments to maintain and deepen relations with South Africa.
It is significant that all the continents of the world are represented here this afternoon since South Africa has always endeavoured to maintain friendly relations with all countries.
We firmly believe in the indivisible unity of humanity and that we share a responsibility to continuously strive to settle differences between countries peacefully and permanently.
Global solidarity is required if we are to meet pressing international challenges such as energy and food insecurity, climate change, conflict, and the existential threat of nuclear weapons.
We need to be united in our efforts to advance sustainable peace and development.
South Africa works to actively promote the centrality of multilateral institutions in managing global affairs and respect for international law and agreements.
We seek to work with our partners across the world to build a more democratic, just, and equitable world order, one which prioritises the needs and interests of the poor and vulnerable.
As the people of the world, we have a shared interest in ending poverty and closing the disparities in wealth, skills, resources, and access to education, health, and social support.
South Africa stands ready to work with all governments and people in achieving these objectives.
We trust that your presence in South Africa as the representatives of your respective peoples will enable us not only to build bilateral relations but to cooperate in building a better world.
Your Excellencies,
You begin your appointments in South Africa at an important time for our country.
Like nations across the world, we are working to rebuild in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which made many of our economic and social challenges far worse.
These efforts to be rebuilt are being held back by a severe energy crisis that has affected every aspect of life in this country.
Therefore, our most immediate and pressing task is to stabilise the supply of electricity and to ensure energy security into the future.
We are therefore focused on several measures to substantially improve the performance of our existing power stations and bring additional generating capacity online as speedily as possible.
Throughout this administration, we have been working to restore effective governance, stabilise public finances, and end all forms of corruption and mismanagement.
We are working to achieve policy certainty and align policies and programs across government.
This is part of a broader effort to make South Africa a country in which it is easier to invest and do business.
South Africa is willing to acknowledge its shortcomings and is prepared to take the necessary measures to correct these.
We are moving with determination and urgency to increase investment, grow our economy, and create jobs, especially for young people.
We have embarked on an ambitious investment drive informed by an understanding that, under the current conditions, far greater investment is a prerequisite for faster economic growth.
It is an understanding that jobs will not be created, and poverty will not be reduced unless we grow our economy.
It is our wish that we will use the good relations between our countries as the basis for greater levels of investment and bilateral trade, which will promote economic activity and development in our respective countries.
We are seeking mutually beneficial cooperation and collaboration to ensure that our societies make progress and that our people benefit from the relationships we build.
The African Continental Free Trade Area is very much aligned with South Africa’s economic growth and development strategy, which places emphasis on regional and continental integration. Therefore, the benefits for Africa are immense as it will also create conditions for greater flows of trade and investment between Africa and the rest of the world.
Your Excellencies,
In conclusion, allow me to thank each of you, on behalf of your countries, for continuing to honour us with your friendship and cooperation.
We look forward to working with you to strengthen relations between our people and to contribute to building a better world for the benefit of all.
I thank you.
Photo Credit: GCIS/Dirco
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