“South Africa is not waiting for sanctions to be lifted to do business with Iran.”
That’s according to Maite Nkoana-Mashabane‚ minister of international relations and co-operation‚ in remarks made at the closing of the 12th Meeting of the Iran-South Africa Joint Commission in Tehran on Monday.
Nkoana-Mashabane said SA has “always spoken out against the language of threats and coercion‚ including the unilateral sanctions that have been unfairly and unjustly imposed to single out” Iran.
“Democratic South Africa and Iran have had bilateral relations for 21 years; and over that period we have not allowed outside pressures to interfere with our close friendship‚” she said.
“These sanctions are not only sanctions on Iran but sanctions on all of us.”
She added that SA “has been in Iran even in the toughest times” and claimed that “trade has already grown by more than 50% over the past year”.
“We have decided that the time has come to take whatever action is necessary to propel the Iran-South Africa relationship to greater heights. For too long we have spoken of untapped potential‚” Nkoana-Mashabane said.
She said SA’s commitment to doing business was evidenced in the size of the delegation which accompanied her on the trip.
It comprised of around 45 officials from six government departments‚ a group of parliamentarians and about 60 businesspeople.
Nkoana-Mashabane wants to 'propel Iran-SA relationship to greater heights'
“South Africa is not waiting for sanctions to be lifted to do business with Iran.”
That’s according to Maite Nkoana-Mashabane‚ minister of international relations and co-operation‚ in remarks made at the closing of the 12th Meeting of the Iran-South Africa Joint Commission in Tehran on Monday.
Nkoana-Mashabane said SA has “always spoken out against the language of threats and coercion‚ including the unilateral sanctions that have been unfairly and unjustly imposed to single out” Iran.
“Democratic South Africa and Iran have had bilateral relations for 21 years; and over that period we have not allowed outside pressures to interfere with our close friendship‚” she said.
“These sanctions are not only sanctions on Iran but sanctions on all of us.”
She added that SA “has been in Iran even in the toughest times” and claimed that “trade has already grown by more than 50% over the past year”.
“We have decided that the time has come to take whatever action is necessary to propel the Iran-South Africa relationship to greater heights. For too long we have spoken of untapped potential‚” Nkoana-Mashabane said.
She said SA’s commitment to doing business was evidenced in the size of the delegation which accompanied her on the trip.
It comprised of around 45 officials from six government departments‚ a group of parliamentarians and about 60 businesspeople.
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