President Cyril Ramaphosa: Eight South Africa - European Union Summit

Your Excellency, President Costa,
Your Excellency, President von der Leyen,
Your Excellencies Ambassadors of the European Union and South Africa,
Members of the European Union and South African delegations,

Good afternoon,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the 8th South Africa – European Union Summit.

This Summit affirms our long-standing and close relationship, which is underpinned by the South Africa-European Union Strategic Partnership.

This is a partnership based on shared values and common interests. A partnership that seeks to create prosperity for our citizens and promote peace, safety and stability.

We share a commitment to inclusive multilateralism as the most effective means to address the most pressing challenges facing the world.

We agree on the need to strengthen economic cooperation and resolve challenges in our trade relations.

In this Summit, we aim to further our constructive discussions on a new investment package by the EU to South Africa.

Through this we aim to consolidate cooperation in areas such as science and technology, education and skills development, climate action, peace and security, health and critical minerals.

South Africa is forging ahead with far-reaching structural reforms to support economic recovery.

We are modernising and transforming key industries such as energy, water, transport and digital communications.

We have already made considerable progress, supported by institutions such as the European Investment Bank.

These reforms are contributing to the improvement of the country’s competitiveness and investment environment.

As one of South Africa’s most important trade and investment partners, the European Union can play a catalytic role in unleashing the productive capacity of our economy and equip our people, especially the youth, to participate in the economy of the future.

We hope we can continue to rely on the support of the European Union and its member states in our efforts to alleviate poverty, transition to a low-carbon economy, invest in climate-resilient infrastructure and grow our industrial capacity.

This Summit is taking place at a time of global uncertainty characterised by rising unilateralism, economic nationalism and a retreat from international law and human rights.

We welcome the European Union’s support for multilateral institutions and the fundamental principles of the United Nations.

We hope to work closely with the European Union and other partners to strengthen and reform institutions of global governance to make them more inclusive and capable of meeting the challenges of the present and the future.

We should collectively strengthen our voice in defence of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, including respect for international law and international humanitarian law.

We welcome the support of the European Union for Africa’s developmental needs.

African relations with the European Union should be built on a mutually beneficial partnership in the spirit of shared ownership, responsibility, respect and mutual accountability.

Today we will discuss our shared interest to advance peace, security, stability and sustainable development on the continent and across the world.

On these and other critical matters, I look forward to productive deliberations that will chart the way for a strengthened Strategic Partnership between the European Union and South Africa.

I thank you.