Colombia's Vice President visits South Africa on African tour
16 May 2023
In a historic visit to Africa, Mrs Francia Elena Márquez, Vice President of the Republic of Colombia was received in South Africa by Deputy President Paul Mashatile. Diplomatic relations between South Africa and Colombia were formally established in April 1994, with Colombia opening its Embassy in Pretoria in 1995.
The focus areas for discussions between the two governments included trade, investment, and technical cooperation in agribusiness, mining and energy, environment, science and innovation, tourism, and transport. There is also cooperation in higher education; sport, arts and culture, and exchanges on regional and multilateral issues.
“This is especially true when it comes to how we deal with deep structural challenges such as land ownership, as we both share colonial legacies and incredible diversity – in people, culture and ecology,” Mashatile said.
On the economic front, South Africa and Colombia have engaged in trade and investments in various industries, including mining, agriculture and manufacturing. Both countries have also signed several bilateral agreements that focus on enhancing economic cooperation.
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Bilateral cooperation with Colombia is, furthermore, in line with South Africa’s foreign policy objective of the South-South Cooperation to develop mutually beneficial political and economic relations as well as technical cooperation to advance the development agenda of the South, said Mashatile.
Attending a business forum in Johannesburg Márquez oversaw the signing of eight declarations of intent between South African and Colombian entities to strengthen cooperation between the two nations. There is a steady growth of Colombian investors in the food, beverages and confectionery industries and South African investments in Colombia are in mining and agribusiness.
Vice President Márquez and her delegation visited Freedom Park, a site of knowledge and heritage aimed at deepening the understanding of South Africa’s rich history and journey to liberation. Here she signed a Book of Honor to honor the slaves who, 400 years ago, were abducted from the continent. She also laid a wreath at the Wall of Remembrance.
Márquez also visited AUDA-NEPAD where she met with CEO Nardos Bekele-Thomas. An agreement was signed towards the attainment of aspiration 6 of Agenda 2063, to advance the exploitation of the vast potential of Africa’s blue economy. APC Colombia committed USD100,000 towards two-track projects where the main beneficiaries will be Colombian and South African women.
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Vice President Márquez was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Minister of Culture; Deputy Minister of Tourism; Senior Government Officials; Parliamentarians; Business, Chambers of Commerce, and Industry of Colombia and some of the country’s artists.
The Vice President will also visit Kenya, and Ethiopia having arrived in South Africa from Gabon.
TDS