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South Africa: Mbeki Forges New Ties with Europe
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South African Institute of International Affairs (Johannesburg)
ANALYSIS
25 July 2008
Posted to the web 25 July 2008
Romy Chevallier
Johannesburg
South Africa, the only African state to date to have signed a "strategic partnership agreement" with the European Union, is holding a summit with the EU today in Bordeaux, France.
The summit, the first heads of state meeting since the establishment of the partnership in May 2007, will build on the discussions that have been held since November 2004 in six EU-South Africa ministerial troika meetings.
During today's discussions, President Thabo Mbeki and Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will meet with President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, the current chair of the European Council, Javier Solana, secretary general of the council, as well as Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission.
But how different is a strategic partnership from the ongoing bilateral engagements between the EU and South Africa?
The EU's engagement with key states through strategic partnerships is part of its external repositioning aimed at strengthening its relations with important, emerging powers, especially in the developing world.
These developments reflect recognition by the EU of the changes in the global geopolitical landscape, as well as the need to explore broader areas of engagement with new partners on issues of international concern. China, India, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, and now South Africa, are becoming increasingly significant actors on global issues. The EU is in the process of initiating strategic partnerships with all of them.
The European Security Strategy of 2003 speaks specifically of the establishment of strategic partnerships with China, Japan, Canada and India, as well as with other countries that share the EU's value systems and goals. The strategy calls for an effective and balanced partnership with the U.S., and mentions Russia as another strategic partner, subject to respect for common values.
The EU commissioner for external relations and European neighbourhood policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner recently reiterated "the growing interconnectedness of the global economy and a shift towards emerging economies, with China and India soon to become the world's second and sixth largest economies." He said: "The EU has to adapt to this, not by creating 'fortress Europe,' but by seeing the opportunities this offers. It is building up strategic partnerships with these economies, and has, for example, made concrete progress in negotiations with China and Russia on issues such as market access, energy and human rights."
Europe is both a "soft" and a "smart" power. Its new external strategy attempts to address the twin challenges of bridging the gap between Europe's substantial economic weight and its more modest international influence. The global dimension is also crucial for the Union: dealing with issues such as climate change, the need for energy and other raw materials, immigration and trade and investment flows – all critical aspects of the Joint EU-Africa Strategy (and accompanying action plan) signed in December 2007, as well as in Euro-Mediterranean Partnership agreements.
The economic importance of EU-SA relations today
Bilateral relations between the EU and South Africa are not new and have deepened substantially since 1994. South Africa is an important emerging power and a key strategic partner to the EU by virtue of its dominance and engagement with its region – politically, economically, and militarily. For example, South Africa contributes approximately 50 percent to sub-Saharan Africa's GDP and nearly 75 percent of that of the Southern African Customs Union. South African foreign direct investment in the rest of Southern Africa represents 49 percent of the region's total.
Today the EU is South Africa's biggest trade and investment partner, accounting for over 40 percent of its imports and 30 percent of its exports, as well as for 66 percent of foreign direct investment (in December 2006). Total trade has increased five-fold, from R56.5 billion in 1994 to R313 billion in 2007. The EU is also South Africa's principal development partner representing approximately 80 percent of all Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) in 2005. South Africa is earmarked to receive €980 million for 2007-2013 – a substantial amount but which represents less than one percent of South Africa's national budget.
Due to the EU's long-standing historical and cultural ties with the continent, Africa remains a focal area for the EU. The EU has revised its Africa strategy, taking into account changing global realities, new partnerships on the continent and good practices. The EU, therefore, regards South Africa as a vital ally in Africa because of its willingness to become involved in regional and continental matters.
Revisiting existing cooperation
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Following the visit of President Mbeki to the EU in 2004, the European Commission felt that relations with South Africa needed to be elevated beyond the framework of the SA-EU Trade and Development Cooperation Agreement (TDCA), into a more coherent and substantive Strategic Partnership along the lines of those the EU has with countries such as India, China and Brazil.
Sorry for you, sorry to all the narrow minded (black) people who are too scared to compete in a peaceful democracy, too scared to face the (white) people face to face in a competitive society, equal qualifications, equal capabilities and with equal morals. To live in harmony and share common care for children and family values. To invest in education and health care. But where (white) farmers can farm in peace, business investment grows with jobcreation, a country can become a bread basket, instead of a barren wasteland where hunger and poverty reign. Why is it so sad and... [Read Full Text]
One man, you're a real pos aren't you? I suppose that if you reverse reality in your mind it becomes true. Who's really afraid to compete with whom? You got it exactly backwards. If you're (whites) so great why did you have to go around the world stealing from anyone who was not militarily strong enough to defend themselves. Peaceful civilizations were completely wiped out, genocide ruled. Tens of millions were enslaved to build the "great western empire". Yeah, you're really great with other peoples resources. That's what you're trying to gloat about? Compete? Your bogus claims about "peaceful... [Read Full Text]
Djoser, One man is optimistic and marching forward whilst you are lamenting the past and going backwards. Lament the past but move cautiously forwards or your country will remain a dump, broken and forever weeping.
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