New Delhi [India], June 2 (ANI): A high-level courtesy meeting took place on Tuesday between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and South African Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile, during the latter's working visit to India, as per an official release from the South African side.

During the discussions, South African Deputy President Mashatile expressed appreciation to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Government of India and the Indian business leaders for hosting the South African delegation. He emphasised the deep historical and political bonds between the two countries.

He said, 'South Africa is deeply committed to its relationship and friendship with India. We are two countries that have lived a shared experience and have faced the same challenges. We saw the birth of a liberation icon in Mahatma Gandhi and his contribution to the formation of the Republic of India, through his experiences in South Africa.'

Reiterating Pretoria's commitment to strengthening ties, he added, 'Today, we express our commitment to fulfilling the objectives of the Declaration and the Strategic Partnership. While recognising the collaboration between India and South Africa in multilateral institutions, we emphasise that the bilateral relationship is key to achieving mutual prosperity and addressing poverty, unemployment, and inequality.'

Both sides agreed that the strong political relationship between India and South Africa should expand into broader areas, particularly economic relations.

The Deputy President was accompanied by Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Ndabeni, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Thandi Moraka, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Nomalungelo Gina and Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mondli Gungubele.

Meanwhile, according to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, both leaders discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in various sectors and agreed to work closely in international forums.

In a post on X, Jaishankar said he was 'pleased to meet' Mashatile and appreciated his 'strong commitment to deepening our longstanding partnership' between India and South Africa.

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/2061680708779999734

According to Jaishankar, the discussions focused on 'opportunities in trade, investments, MSMEs, digital and infrastructure domains and both sides 'also agreed that India and South Africa must work closely in international forums.'

Earlier on Sunday, South Africa Deputy President Paul Mashatile, along with South Africa's Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Tembisa Ndabeni-Abrahams, visited Dilli Haat in the national capital as part of their ongoing visit to India from May 29 to June 3.

Mashatile's visit, along with his delegation at the open-air market, food plaza, and craft bazaar, was aimed at exploring the cultural and entrepreneurial landscape of India.

In a post on X, Mashatile said that he visited Dilli Haat to explore India's rich cultural heritage.

'As part of exploring the cultural heritage of India this morning, we visited Dilli Haat in New Delhi. Dilli Haat has become India's popular tourist destination where visitors enjoy live music, dance performances, and art exhibitions representing various states of India,' the post read.

In a video shared along with the post, he added that the visit was aimed at understanding how India supports small and medium enterprises (SMEs), encourages innovation in the digital economy, and manages infrastructure.

The Deputy President arrived in India on Friday for a six-day working visit aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation and giving 'fresh impetus' to India-South Africa ties.

He is scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President CP Radhakrishnan at Rashtrapati Bhavan during his stay.

The visit itinerary also includes engagements in Hyderabad before the delegation's departure on June 3. (ANI)