Ramaphosa in Mexico for global summit

South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is in Mexico to attend the Open Government Partnership Global Summit.

The theme of the summit is “the role of open government in accelerating the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development”.

Ramaphosa landed in the country on Monday after an official trip to Cuba.

South Africa is expected to assume the chairpersonship of the organisation‚ which was chaired by Mexico in the past year.

The partnership‚ which has 66 member countries‚ was forged to improve government transparency‚ accountability and responsiveness to citizens with the aim of improving services and reducing poverty.

Ramaphosa’s delegation includes Deputy Ministers Luwellyn Landers‚ Ayanda Dlodlo‚ and Mzwandile Masina.

Ramaphosa was set to pay a courtesy call on Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Tuesday.

South Africa and Mexico established diplomatic relations in 1993. A Bi-National Commission‚ chaired at the level of the two countries’ ministries of international relations was established in 2009 to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

Mexico is regarded as South Africa’s biggest trading partner in Latin America after Brazil and Argentina.

Bilateral trade has been growing but there has been a slump in South Africa’s exports to Mexico in 2013 and 2014. South African companies such as Aspen and Old Mutual have however increased their footprint in Mexico with Aspen having moved into the group of 20 biggest companies in Mexico.

RDM News Wire.