International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, is expected to host her Norwegian counterpart, Anniken Huitfeldt, for the sixth session of the South Africa–Norway high-level consultations.
At Wednesday’s consultations, the Ministers are expected to review the status of bilateral political and economic relations.
“Discussions will also focus on issues of peace and security in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, as well as discussions on multilateralism and the rule of law,” said the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in a statement on Monday.
Relations between South Africa and Norway are well-established, mature and mutually beneficial.
“Since 1994, through the respective government programmes and commitments, an excellent foundation has been created that is serving our mutual benefit in the current international environment.”
The two countries enjoy excellent political and economic relations and cooperate on a wide range of interlinking global issues. These include global health, climate change, energy, sustainable blue economy, peace and reconciliation, women’s peace and security, and trade and investment.
South Africa views Norway as a significant player in the country’s energy sector.
The Norwegian company Scatec Solar is constructing Africa’s largest solar farm at Kenhardt in the Northern Cape.
According to DIRCO, the project will have an installed output capacity of 540MW and 1 140MWh of battery storage.
Meanwhile, trade relations between South Africa and Norway continue to grow steadily.
Records show that trade increased by 6% to R4.5 billion in 2020 but declined by 29% in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, new Norwegian investments of over R20 billion were announced during last year’s South Africa Investment Conference.
South Africa and Norway also cooperate closely on issues of mediation and peacebuilding and partners on the Gertrude Shope Annual Dialogue Forum on Conflict Resolution and Peace-making.
The programme was extended to include capacity building for women peace mediators in 2018, of which 850 mediators have been trained so far. – SAnews.gov.za
Source: South African Government News Agency