Maputo: President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for deeper economic integration and intensified regional peace efforts as South Africa and Mozambique opened the fourth Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Maputo. The event reaffirmed a partnership built on struggle-era solidarity and sustained by expanding economic ties.
According to South African Government News Agency, President Ramaphosa addressed Mozambican President Daniel Chapo, Ministers, and senior officials at the State House, emphasizing the BNC's role in elevating cooperation between the two countries amid rising global uncertainty and geopolitical instability. The President highlighted the historical bonds of solidarity between the nations, rooted in their shared struggle against colonialism and apartheid.
With multilateralism under strain and violent conflicts escalating globally, President Ramaphosa underscored the importance of South Africa and Mozambique working together to defend international law, promote dialogue, and tackle regional insecurity. He expressed concern over the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the civil war in Sudan, and the political impasse in South Sudan, stressing the need to tackle the threat posed by terrorism and extremism.
Economic cooperation was a key focus, as President Ramaphosa noted Mozambique's position as South Africa's largest trading partner in the region and a key global export destination. He emphasized the BNC's role in strengthening economic links and highlighted the presence of over 300 South African companies in Mozambique. The President pointed to the Maputo Development Corridor as an example of successful cross-border cooperation and placed particular emphasis on energy cooperation as a central pillar of the economic partnership.
Later today, President Ramaphosa and President Chapo will inaugurate the new Sasol gas development facility in Inhambane, a project resulting from the gas cooperation agreement signed in 2004. The President also discussed opportunities in minerals such as graphite, iron ore, and tantalum, supported by South Africa's development finance institutions.
President Ramaphosa called for both countries to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area to diversify markets, deepen intra-African trade, and strengthen economic resilience. He closed by expressing appreciation for the warm reception in Maputo and reiterated South Africa's commitment to working with Mozambique for a better future.