Remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa during a media briefing on the occasion of the Stave Visit by resident Alexander Van der Bellen of Austria, Union Buildings, Tshwane
Your Excellency, President Alexander Van der Bellen,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Ambassadors,
Senior officials,
Members of the media,
Ladies and gentlemen,
As you are aware, Your Excellency, South Africans are today mourning the passing of our former Deputy President David Dabede Mabuza.
He served as the Deputy President of the Republic from 2018 to 2023 and before that as Premier of the province of Mpumalanga.
It is appropriate that we pay tribute to him on this occasion, both for his contribution to the development of our democracy and to the quest for peace and stability on the African continent.
He was deeply committed to the cause of the South African people and to building bonds of friendship and cooperation with peoples from across the world.
I ask that we observe a moment of silence in his memory.
Your Excellency, allow me once again to welcome you to South Africa.
This is the first visit by an Austrian Head of State to democratic South Africa.
In our Official Talks, we took the opportunity to thank the Austrian people for their support during our struggle for democracy.
We believe that this solidarity laid a firm basis for our bilateral cooperation.
President Van der Bellen’s visit marks a new chapter for relations between Austria and South Africa as we seek to deepen investment and trade between our two countries.
South Africa is Austria’s largest trading partner on the continent and accounts for almost a third of Austria’s total exports to the continent.
More than a quarter of all African imports to Austria are from South Africa.
We have acknowledged the presence of more than 70 Austrian companies with subsidiaries and agencies in South Africa.
Later today, President Van der Bellen and I will be participating in a high-level business forum that will explore the numerous avenues for deepening bilateral investment and trade.
South Africa welcomes the Republic of Austria’s ongoing commitment to our country’s development and to our efforts to drive inclusive growth and job creation.
Today we signed two Memoranda of Understanding.
The first on cooperation in consular affairs and the second on technical vocational education and work-based training, which will support South Africa’s efforts to produce the skills our economy needs.
President Van der Bellen and I discussed the impact of geopolitical events.
We affirmed the importance of multilateralism as we strive to realise a world free from conflict and war.
We share the belief that the institutions of global governance, and particularly the United Nations Security Council, must be reformed to meet the challenges and realities of the world today.
We took this opportunity to discuss the theme we have chosen for South Africa’s G20 Presidency, namely ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’.
It envisages a world order in which every person, every community and every country has equal opportunity to progress and to thrive.
From our discussions today, it is clear that this is an aspiration that Austria and South Africa share.
Austria is a valued partner of South Africa. This state visit will further deepen our longstanding cooperation and strengthen the ties between our two peoples.
I thank you.
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