On May 11, the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services of South Africa, Dr. Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele and the Ambassador of Cuba in that country, Rodolfo Benítez Verson, signed in Pretoria an intergovernmental agreement aimed at increasing bilateral cooperation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
The agreement establishes specific areas of cooperation between the two countries, which include, among others, the exchange of technical skills and human resources development in the ICT field; sharing of experiences in satellite and other communication networks; management of the radio frequency spectrum; cooperation in postal services and technology; the promotion and coordination of the use of ICT in sectors such as tele-education, tele-health, e-commerce and electronic government; and software development and commercialization.
By intervening in the signing ceremony, both parties agreed to describe the agreement as a new step forward in the consolidation of historical relations of brotherhood between the two countries, which constitute a true example of South-South cooperation.
The new agreement was signed precisely on the day Cuba and South Africa celebrate the 24th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Cuba was the first country diplomatically recognized by the government of the African National Congress under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, elected in 1994, which formalized special ties that extend for centuries.
Also attending the ceremony were officials from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, headed by Ambassador Victor Rambau, Director in the Foreign Ministry.