India-South Africa India-South Africa 2019 | Page 3

High Commissioner for India
Pretoria
MESSAGE
I am delighted that the ‘Diplomatist Magazine’ plans a Special Report on India-South Africa
relations, coinciding with 25 Years of Diplomatic Relations between the two countries.
Fast forwarding from a glorious past to the vibrant present, India and South Africa have in 2017
celebrated 20 years of a Strategic Partnership. In 2018 our two countries celebrate 25 years of
diplomatic relations. 2018 is also the 100th Birth Anniversary of President Nelson Mandela, even
as India celebrates the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi from 2 October 2018 through
2 October 2020.
The ties between the two countries have been strengthened by a steady contact through high-level
visits by both sides. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited South Africa in July 2018 to participate in
the 10th BRICS Summit hosted by South Africa. The External Aff airs Minister, Sushma Swaraj visited
South Africa in June 2018 and participated in the commemoration of the 125th Anniversary of the
Pietermaritzburg “incident” involving Gandhi. Aside from these 2 key visits, there have been over a
dozen Ministerial visits from India to South Africa in 2018, as this partnership accelerates and grows.
But important as people-to-people and cultural links are to a bilateral relationship, the bilateral
commercial and trade relationship is the fi bre which strengthens the partnership. And India-South
Africa commercial relations are seeing a healthy and steady increase. To explore additional areas of
cooperation for the growth of bilateral trade and investment, an India-South Africa Business Summit
2018 was held at Sandton, Johannesburg on 29-30 April 2018. The gains from this major business
summit are expected to translate into concrete outcomes in the coming years.
Our vision for the future is a deepening and strengthening of the relationship between two old
friends and partners through a sharing of our strengths for a win-win partnership for both sides.
Best wishes
Ruchira Kamboj
High Commissioner for India, Pretoria