Pretoria: South Africa and the Slovak Republic are set to review the state of their bilateral political relations to consolidate and further enhance diplomatic and political cooperation. Bilateral political relations as well as diplomatic and political cooperation will be up for discussion at the meeting between International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister, Alvin Botes and the Slovak Republic’s State Secretary for Foreign and European Affairs, Marek E€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡tok. The Deputy Minister will co-chair the South Africa-Slovak Republic Political Consultations with the State Secretary on Monday in Pretoria.
According to South African Government News Agency, this round of political consultations provides an opportunity for the Deputy Minister and his counterpart to review the state of the bilateral political relations to consolidate and further enhance diplomatic and political cooperation between the two nations. The Deputy Minister and State Secretary will also share perspectives and deepen their understanding of regional, multilateral, and global issues of mutual concern, said the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
Bilateral political consultations between South Africa and the Slovak Republic are based on the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Africa and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic, signed in 2007 in Bratislava. Economic and trade relations are conducted through a Joint Council for Economic Cooperation (JCEC).
Relations between South Africa and the Slovak Republic are cordial and relatively modest, with trade and investment levels remaining at a very low base. Bilateral trade between the two countries in 2024 totalled £287.4 million, representing an increase of 3.1% in comparison to 2023. South African exports to the Slovak Republic in 2024 amounted to £92.1 million, a decrease of 4.8%. Slovak exports to South Africa amounted to £195.3 million, an increase of 7.3% compared to 2023.