Air services agreement on the card as Jamaica, South Africa strengthen bilateral ties

Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Kamina Johnson Smith says an air services agreement between Jamaica and South Africa is among a list of initiatives under consideration as both countries seek to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Addressing a reception to celebrate the 24th anniversary of South Africa’s Freedom Day, held on Thursday at the Terra Nova Hotel, in St Andrew, Johnson Smith said both countries have been strengthening ties in recent years, pointing to a current partnership in the form of the Joint Commission on Science and Technology.

The partnership is aimed at contributing towards scientific advancement in both countries through the joint funding of research activities in specified fields.

However, with the appointment of Angella Comfort as Jamaica's new high commissioner to South Africa, the foreign affairs minister said an air services agreement is among a number of partnerships to be pursued by the new envoy when she takes up office in Pretoria shortly.

“These objectives will form a major part of the mandate of our new High Commissioner-designate to South Africa, Angella Comfort, who will take up her duties in short order in Pretoria,” Johnson Smith said at the reception held to mark South Africa's Freedom Day.

Freedom Day marks the liberation of South Africa and its people from a period of colonialism and apartheid, which officially existed from 1948 to 1994.

In the meantime, charge d’affaires at the South African High Commission, Phillip Riley, said the engagement between the countries is bringing tangible results.

Riley pointed to agreements that “support the eradication of poverty and address the inequality that characterise most modern societies, issues which disproportionately confront women and children and other vulnerable groups".