President of Chile, Dr Michelle Bachelet, and president Jacob Zuma toasted the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries at the Union Buildings last Friday during a Chilean state visit to South Africa. The two leaders agreed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a Joint Trade and Investment Commission should be implemented as soon as possible, said a Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson. He noted that the Joint Commission would meet in Santiago Chile before the end 2014 in order to finalise a short-, medium- and long-term plan of action. Zuma and Bachelet also highlighted the discontinuation of the South Africa Airways (SAA) direct route to Buenos Aires in March 2014 “with regret” and called on the relevant transport authorities of both countries to improve connectivity between the regions. CAPTION Dr Michelle Bachelet, president of Chile, and SA president Jacob Zuma after agreeing a Memorandum of Understanding
