Cape Town (South Africa), Nov 11 (IANS) South Africa and Cuba are to establish a task force to boost trade between the two countries.
“We have identified this [trade] as a challenge and we have agreed to establish a task team of officials from both countries to pay more attention to trade and to see how we can improve the trade and economic co-operation between our two countries,” South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said here Saturday.
The minister was addressing the fifth South Africa-Cuba Joint Commission, which she co-chaired with Cuba’s Foreign Minister Martha Lomas Morales, South African news agency BuaNews reported Sunday.
Zuma said the reason for trade being a challenge is that Cuba is a long distance away from South Africa and is not a traditional trading partner; however both countries are willing to build partnerships.
Also, the two countries have agreed to work together in areas of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and the IT sector.
Cuba and South Africa have a comprehensive co-operation programme in health and education sectors.
“Co-operation in the health sector has been very stable, both with Cuban doctors in South Africa and with South Africa training some of our students in Cuba, the Cuban government is providing 60 scholarships for South African students.”