Minister of International Relations Ronald Lamola. Photo: Phil Magakoe/Gallo Images
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy will meet International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola in Cape Town on Tuesday, the ministry confirmed.
Lamy's visit to South Africa is part of his first official trip to Africa since taking office in July, and he visited Nigeria over the weekend, where he met with his counterpart Yusuf Tugal and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The UK Foreign Office has announced that Mr Lamy and Mr Lamola will agree to develop a new growth plan for the UK and South Africa after signing a strategic partnership with Nigeria.
“The meeting will focus on strengthening the relationship between South Africa and the UK,” Ramola's office said.
South Africa is the UK's biggest trading partner on the continent, with bilateral trade totaling £10.6bn (R240bn), but discussions will also focus on South Africa's upcoming G20 presidency, the Middle East and climate change. Understood.
South Africa hopes to use its presidency to strengthen its reform movement in multilateral institutions and expand its influence in the Global South. As part of this effort, Japan is aiming to secure permanent seats for African countries on the United Nations Security Council.
Britain's Labor government has made strengthening ties with the Global South one of its foreign policy priorities, but Russia and China are also seeking to increase their foothold on the continent.
The Foreign Office said over the weekend that Lamy aims to build “respectful partnerships that listen rather than talk” with African countries.
“We want to listen to what our African partners need and foster relationships so that Britain and our African friends and partners can grow together,” he said.
“Growth is a core mission of this government and will underpin our relationships in Nigeria, South Africa and the rest of the world. It means more prosperity and more opportunities.”
Mr Lamy and Mr Lamola held an informal meeting in London in July on the sidelines of a Thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the end of apartheid.
South Africa last week filed a memorandum detailing its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, with diplomats privately welcoming signs that Britain's stance toward Israel is changing under the New Labor government. There is.
Downing Street announced in July that it would not challenge the International Criminal Court's jurisdiction to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, contrary to plans by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Mr Lamy reversed the previous Conservative government's decision to cut funding to the UN relief agency in Palestine, UNRWA.
