CIRSD President Vuk Jeremić paid a visit today to the Republic of South Africa, where he met with President Jacob Zuma, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe, and Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.
During the meeting with President Zuma, Jeremić discussed a number of pressing international issues, focusing on key crisis points in Africa and prospects for the continent’s development in the time ahead.
The talks also covered the current state of play in the process of drafting the post-2015 sustainable development agenda, as well as progress made in international negotiations on climate change.
President Zuma expressed his gratitude to Serbia for its initiative during the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly in convening the UN's first comprehensive thematic debate on Africa. The debate, which was held in New York on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the African Union (AU), has come to serve as a blueprint for Africa’s development.
The South African President also eagerly accepted the invitation to contribute an article for the forthcoming issue of Horizons, an English-language quarterly magazine published by the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development.
In the scope of Mr. Jeremić’s meetings with senior South African officials, a number of joint projects were agreed upon—including some on the future development and stability of Africa. The first of the many projects to come pertains to holding a conference in Spring 2015 examining the present role of the AU and offering prospects for its future involvement in international peace-keeping operations. The conference is expected to take place in New York.
