SA for strong trade relations with GCC

ABU DHABI — Introducing itself to the Gulf region as a ‘soft power’, South Africa is pushing for negotiating Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) between Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Dr Chris Landsberg, Director-General of the Centre for Policy Studies, Johannesburg, South Africa, has said.

By Muawia E. Ibrahim

Published: Wed 3 May 2006, 11:17 AM

Last updated: Sat 4 Apr 2015, 7:36 PM

Addressing a roundtable on ‘South Africa’s Foreign Policy Perspective and its Impact on the Arabian Gulf’, Dr Landsberg said: “South Africa seeks to partner with the Gulf region and as a soft power we are very much interested in economic integration with GCC countries.” The roundtable held at the Emirates Palace here, was attended by Dikgang Moopeloa, Ambassador of South Africa to UAE.

Dr Landsberg said as part of its anticipated role in this area, South Africa is in favour of, and pushing for negotiating FTAs between SADC and GCC, as major blocs in the region. “South Africa's vision for SADC is one of the highest possible degrees of economic cooperation, mutual assistance where necessary and joint planning of regional development initiatives, leading to integration consistent with socio-economic, environmental and political realities,” he said.

South Africa is also pushing for negotiating FTAs between SADC and MERCOSUR, the Southern Common Market formed by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay.

“The Middle East occupies a high strategic plane in South Africa's foreign policy. High level bilateral visits to and from South Africa and the Gulf states have increased. These have concentrated on trade, investment, defence and technical co-operation, showing that South Africa regards the Middle East as strategically important politically and economically,” Dr Landsberg noted.

He said for many years the Gulf region has been of strategic importance to South Africa because it is the source of most of our oil imports. Since 1999, South Africa's economic interaction with the region has expanded significantly, partly as a result of bilateral agreements SA has entered into with most of the Gulf States, but partly also because South Africa has prioritised the region.