Dear colleagues and friends,
As you will be aware, President Ramaphosa made a highly successful official visit to Dublin last Wednesday, 8 October, at the invitation of President Higgins. This was likely the last official engagement by President Higgins as his tenure draws to a close.
The tone of the visit was very warm as reflected in the language used. President Higgins referred to the “special relationship” between Ireland and South Africa and President Ramaphosa to the “eternal, fraternal bonds” between the two countries – based on the struggle for freedom, democracy and justice. I highly recommend that you take the opportunity to listen to the remarks by President Ramaphosa at the lunch hosted at the Áras at the link on press coverage below.
In additional to the formal ceremonial welcome and lunch at the Áras the President was also received by the Taoiseach and there was a substantive exchange on international issues and on the bilateral relationship, with a particular focus on higher education exchanges and on trade/investment flows. The President also met with a number of business people (including BISA members) to directly discuss trade and investment conditions in South Africa as well as the CEO and Africa Director (Doreen McKeown) of Enterprise Ireland. The Embassy and state agencies will be following up on bilateral dimensions in the months ahead.
President Ramaphosa was accompanied by the Minister for International Relations and Cooperation and the Minister for Higher Education and both had separate substantive meetings with their Irish counterparts (The Tánaiste and Minister Lawless).
The President and Taoiseach expressed appreciation to President Ramaphosa for the invitation to Ireland to join the G20 this year and were told that it could not be any other way given the strength of the relationship. The visit was also an important opportunity to acknowledge the important contribution of President Ramaphosa to the peace process on the Island of Ireland which was in part inspired by post-apartheid reconciliation in South Africa.
The visit was an important milestone in the bilateral relationship that lends momentum for the further deepening of our strong links with South Africa. The visit by the Taoiseach to Johannesburg for the G20 Leaders Summit on 21-23 November will be an opportunity to celebrate our ties further and the Embassy will be in touch shortly about community involvement in “bilateral” elements of the visit on 21 November.
The backdrop to the Presidential visit was of course the tireless work undertaken by community and business organisations and our state agencies over many years on the ground here. The diaspora and business links are quite exceptional and cultural and academic exchanges are growing. It is through your work day-in and out that we have built goodwill and friendship. We all have a stake in building the future relationship and this year has proven pivotal in terms of high-level exchanges which give a new dynamic to the cause.
I want to warmly thank you as “Team Ireland SA” for all your contributions to the successful G20 Ministerial visits we have had so far in terms of numerous business and community engagements as well as to the President’s visit with two Ministers last week at relatively short notice. We have just four more Ministerial visits from Ireland to go in the coming weeks (climate and environment; education; justice and health) as well of course as the Taoiseach’s participation in the G20 Leaders Summit on 22/23 November. The latter coincides with the Ireland v Springboks match in Dublin by the way so as not to also forget traditional rivalries!
With best wishes,
Austin Gormley
Ambassador
Embassy of Ireland
See below some links to media relating to President Ramaphosa’s Official Visit:
Speeches: President Cyril Ramaphosa during a Luncheon hosted in his honour by President Michael D Higgins (Ramaphosa speaks at the 23 minute mark)
The Landing: President Cyril Ramaphosa arrives at Dublin International Airport in Ireland – YouTube
Áras ceremony: President Cyril Ramaphosa arrives at Áras an Uachtaráin in Ireland.
News outlets picked up the story, with RTE and SABC reporting on the visit.