SA, Brazil cement relations
Matome Sebelebele
28 October 2004
Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma arrived in Brazil on Wednesday for talks with her host counterpart Celso Amorim on strengthening political and economic ties between the two countries.
The two-day talks are part of the third Joint Binational Commission where officials discuss cooperation strategies in various economic and political sectors like minerals and energy, environmental affairs, health, agriculture, transport and defence.
Brazil is South Africa's biggest trading partner in Latin America and exports mostly animal and vegetable oils, tobacco, mineral fuels, organic chemicals, raw hides and skins and leather, ceramic products, machinery and mechanical appliances, electrical machinery and equipment vehicles and parts.
South Africa also exports to Brazil precious stones and metal, anthracite and coal, iron and steel, miscellaneous chemical products, organic chemicals, machinery and mechanical appliances, paper
and paperboard in a multimillion rand trade exchange.
The meeting will also consider the proposed reform of multilateral institutions such as the United Nations Security Council and the World Bank.
South Africa, Brazil and India, under the IBSA Dialogue Forum, are part of a strong lobby calling for reforms in these key global organisations, arguing that the UN as currently structured "is not representative of present-day realities".
They seek to gain permanent seats in the UN Security Council against stiff challenges from among others Germany, Pakistan and Egypt.
Attaining a seat in the UN Security Council would ensure that countries both developed and developing have an equal say on matters affecting the world.
The US, France, Britain, China and Russia are currently the permanent members of the Security Council and the only ones who can endorse or veto resolutions.
Source: BuaNews
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