Slovak President Receives the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa

Ad the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič received the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

According to the Deputy President, her country intends to build on the existing good relations with Slovakia and is particularly interested in the development of economic cooperation. Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka also praised the achievements of the Slovak Republic, which she rated as inspirational for the development of South Africa’s economy.

According to Ivan Gašparovič, Slovakia had to undergo a complicated and long process in the transformation of the political, economy and social areas. “However, today we can confirm that the reforms have been successful and the Slovak Republic is one of the most prosperous democratic states in Europe. We realise that we must cooperate with South Africa and help each other out because the country has been achieving significant success in the development and building of democracy in Africa,” the President said.

Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka added that South Africa had made a great progress in the democratisation of its constitution and society, as demonstrated by the interest of immigrants from other African states. The Deputy President also says that a massive influx of immigrants goes hand-in-hand with crime, and the government has to protect the safety of people living in the country.

President Gašparovič also praised the cooperation with South Africa in the UN regarding the discussion on UN security policy reform. At the end of the discussion, the Deputy President said that South Africa was also interested in cooperation with Slovakia in the areas of science, research, culture and education.

This intention is underscored by the signed agreement on cooperation in education, which contains a solid form of student exchange between universities in Slovakia and South Africa.