Zuma upbeat after Iran visit
TMG Digital | 25 April, 2016 19:36
President Jacob Zuma’s state visit to Iran ended on a high note with the signing of several agreements to take economic and trade relations to greater heights‚ following the lifting of sanctions in Iran‚ the presidency announced on Monday.Zuma‚ who undertook the state visit to Iran on Sunday and Monday‚ was upbeat about his discussions with Iranian President Hasan Rouhani.
South Africa viewed Iran as a strategic trading partner within the Middle East and Central Asian regions.
While the countries had maintained good relations over the years‚ total trade had been falling over the past decade owing to‚ among others‚ the non-existence of banking relations between the two countries and the various sanctions imposed by the West.
As of 2015‚ total trade between the two countries stood at R358 million.
Zuma said this figure did not reflect the optimal capabilities of the two economies.
The two presidents undertook to take cooperation in the fields of trade‚ education and skills development‚ science and technology‚ energy‚ including petrochemical gas exploration and refining capacity‚ agriculture‚ mining and mineral beneficiation‚ infrastructure development and transport‚ finance‚ banking and insurance and tourism.
They also witnessed the signing of a number of agreements
These included a memorandums of understanding and cooperation in the fields of trade and industry‚ agricultural cooperation.
The two leaders also discussed the regional and global threat of terrorism.
They agreed to strengthen intelligence cooperation on strategic regional security and stability issues to combat international terrorism.
They also agreed to intensify the call for the reform of the United Nations especially the UN Security Council‚ as the interests of the developing world needed to be protected.
Rouhani has accepted an invitation from Zuma to undertake a state visit to South Africa.
Response:
Whilst reading this article, I see a proper example of what peace and cooperation is supposed to look like internationally. They looked at the potential of the two countries, and stuck the two together, creating even more opportunities. Iran and South Africa looked into each countries strengths and weaknesses and decided to help each other by coming together even more strongly, making available more peace chances in the future. The bias is kind of obvious, considering how excitedly the publisher expressed this meeting and how they recounted the events. It is a happy event in the eyes of Iran, South Africa, and their allies. But for everyone else in the picture, it might not be so fortunate of an event. I agree with them in that it is a good opportunity for leadership, as these countries can model what a good partnership is. But again, other areas may not like this as it may hurt their economy. In conclusion, it's encouraging to read this recounting and realize how, amidst the chaos, peace is being founded, even if its minor.
Citation:
TMG Digital. "Zuma Upbeat after Iran Visit."
Times Live. Times Media Group, 25 Apr. 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. <http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2016/04/25/Zuma-upbeat-after-Iran-visit>.
I think your article choice was great! This is not one of the top headlines that you see every week so it gave a fresh set of information on a world problem. Your analysis showed understanding of the topic and I think you're right that this could prove to be a positive change for some and possibly negative for others. Overall, I think your response and article were informational. Good Job!
ReplyDelete