South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday.R.V. MoorthyR.V. Moorthy  

India and South Africa on Friday agreed on a three-year strategic partnership agreement to boost relations.

The agreement, signed during the visit of President Cyril Ramaphosa, will cover defence and security, blue economy cooperation and sustainable development.

At the end of the delegation-level talks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the scope for cooperation.

Working together

“Our countries have compatible world views. We have strong partnership in platforms such as the BRICS, the G-20, the Indian Ocean Region Association and the IBSA Dialogue Forum. We can work together for the reform of the UN Security Council,” he said.

India also invited South Africa to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and congratulated it on securing the non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for 2019-20.

A joint statement acknowledged the growing interaction between the Navies of the two countries, and the Indian leader welcomed the South African participation in the India-Africa Field Training Exercise next March.

Common struggle

The statement reiterated the role of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) that ensures freedom of navigation by keeping sea lanes free and secure.

Speaking at the first IBSA Gandhi-Mandela Freedom Lecture, organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs, Mr. Ramaphosa highlighted the common heritage of struggle and the common aspiration of non-discriminatory national and international politics.