US Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a courtesy call on South Africa's new Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Ronald Lamola, and reaffirmed his commitment to broadening and deepening the special relationship between the two countries.
The call was first confirmed by DIRCO.
Blinken's call follows a similar exchange he had with outgoing Minister Naledi Pandor earlier this week, as well as calls between US President Joe Biden and President Cyril Ramaphosa following the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) last week.
According to a DIRCO statement, Minister Lamola and Secretary of State Blinken reiterated their commitment to expanding bilateral relations and in the areas of global peace and security.
Speaking before Pandor, Blinken thanked the two countries for their cooperation during his tenure as top diplomat. Demonstrating the importance of the relationship, U.S. President Biden called President Ramaphosa on July 2, praising South Africa for the formation of the GNU and pledging a future partnership that will include working together on Pretoria's leadership of the G20 in 2025, as well as working together to grow the economy, combat climate change, strengthen health systems and ensure democracy reaches all.
