Johannesburg - South Africa and Bulgaria have agreed to work
together on education and food security in a bid to strengthen bilateral
relations between the two countries, the department of international relations
said on Sunday.
International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane went
on a two-day working visit to Bulgaria, marking the 20th anniversary of the
establishment of the partnership between the two countries, department
spokesperson Clayson Monyela said in a statement.
"The primary objectives of the visit were: to
strengthen political and economic relations between the two countries, to
strengthen co-operation on skills development, to promote the African agenda,
(and) to exchange views on multilateral issues of common interest.
Nkoana-Mashabane met Bulgarian Minister of Environmental
Affairs and Water, Nona Karadjova.
South Africa established diplomatic relations with Bulgaria
in 1992.
Since 1992 several agreements had been signed between the two
countries, such as diplomatic and political consultations, education, science
and technology, tourism, sport, arts and culture, and defence police
co-operation, said Monyela.
Bulgaria joined the European Union in January 2007 and was
now part of the South Africa-EU Trade and Development Co-operation Agreement.
South Africa's major exports to Bulgaria are mineral
products, textiles and textile articles, vegetable products, machinery,
mechanical appliances and electrical equipment, base metals and articles of
base metals, and chemical products.
Major imports from Bulgaria include machinery and mechanical appliances and electrical equipment, base metals and articles of base metals, chemical products, vegetable products, textiles and textile articles.