British foreign secretary says growth plan will drive economic development
British foreign secretary says growth plan will drive economic development
Lamola said ahead of the meeting that the countries’ trade and investment relationship had stagnated due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other challenges and needed a “reset”.
“I am pleased that we have reaffirmed the importance and the strength of our bilateral trade and investment relationship,” he said.
On defence, the two countries committed to deepen their co-operation on counter-terrorism and discussed their shared goals for a just energy transition, Lammy said.
Lammy, who is on his first official visit to Africa as foreign secretary, visited Nigeria on Monday where he also agreed to strengthen economic and security ties.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Prince William paid a visit to President Cyril Ramaphosa in Cape Town on Tuesday after taking a nature walk with rangers and conservationists at Table Mountain National Park.
The prince is on a four-day trip to SA for the annual awards ceremony of his Earthshot Prize, which will be held on Wednesday. He will also attend a global wildlife summit and hold other climate-focused engagements.
Video footage shared by Ramaphosa’s office showed William and the president shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries at the start of their meeting.
“The visit is indicative of the strong ties the UK, including the royal family, share with SA, and also another step towards the deepening of the historic ties,” the presidency said.
It said SA was pleased to host this year’s Earthshot Prize awards because it highlighted the affect climate change and environmental degradation have in Africa. Launched in 2020, the prize aims to find innovations to combat climate and other green issues, and awards five winners £1m (R22.6m) each to drive their exceptional projects.
Reuters
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