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Journalism of Courage
Commerce Minister Anand Sharma,who had been a known Africa hand in his previous stint as a junior minister in the External Affairs Ministry,met South African President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria on Saturday.
Sharma apprised Zuma of Indias initiative to host a ministerial meeting on re-energising the Doha Development Round of WTO in which the South African Trade and Industry Minister would also take part. Sharma is on an official visit to South Africa from August 20 to 24.
Underscoring the importance attached by India to the strategic partnership with South Africa,both leaders agreed on a roadmap to enhance bilateral cooperation in several key sectors,including cooperation on security issues and in addressing terrorism.
Sharma said the Indian leadership was looking forward to a visit by the South African President to India early next year. Zuma and Sharma also discussed measures to deepen and diversify the bilateral relationship through a newly energised economic and commercial partnership.
Sharma briefed the South African President to enhance the quality of business-to-business interaction through an interaction between CEOs in connection with his visit. It was agreed that India would share its experience in rural development and employment generation and a delegation led by the Minister of Rural Development of South Africa would visit India in the near future.
