South Africa today assured India that it would support its membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, as the two countries agreed to deepen their cooperation in defence, deep-mining, science and technology, under a five-year strategic programme.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is here on an official visit, held discussions with her South African counterpart Maite Nkoana-Mashabane on a wide range of issues.
The two ministers discussed regional and multilateral issues that included BRICS, India, Brazil, South Africa (IBSA), Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), cyber security counter-terrorism, reforms of multilateral institutions, especially the UNSC.
"They recognised the need for urgent reform of the UN Security Council and agreed that 2015, being the 70th anniversary of the UN, presented a unique opportunity to expedite the reform process and work towards a concrete outcome," said an official statement.
Nkoana-Mashabane assured Swaraj that her country would support India's membership of the 48-member NSG.
To facilitate cooperation, the two countries also agreed to set up a new Joint Working Group on Trade & Economic matters, the statement said.
During the 9th Session of the India-South Africa Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), the South African minister suggested that negotiations be launched to arrive at an India-South Africa Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), which was welcomed by Swaraj.
"Talks would be initiated at the earliest in this regard," it said.
"It was also decided to set up a new Sub-Committee on Science & Technology, and promote cooperation in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)," it said.
Prior to the JMC, Swaraj called on South African President Jacob Zuma and also extended the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to him to attend the third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III) in October 2015 in New Delhi.
The two ministers decided to hold the next session of the JMC in India in 2017.
