Sushma Swaraj leaves for South Africa on five-day visit, to attend BRICS, IBSA

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday left on a five-day visit to South Africa to meet the top leaders of the country and attend events of BRICS and IBSA – the two major associations where India has been playing a key role.

"The External Affairs Minister will participate in the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting on June 4, 2018 and chair the IBSA Foreign Ministers Meeting," the MEA said.               

Swaraj will also attend a series of events marking the 125^th anniversary of the historic incident where a youthful Mahatma Gandhi was thrown out of a train in Pietermaritzburg railway station, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

The train incident in 1893 proved to be a key point in Gandhi’s fight against racial discrimination in South Africa.

Swaraj will participate in BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Foreign Ministers’ meeting on June 4 which is said to lay the foundation for the annual summit of the grouping in Johannesburg in July.

She is also set to chair a meeting of Foreign Ministers of IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa), another association to strengthen ties among the three countries on major global issues.

On June 6, Swaraj will visit the Phoenix settlement where Mahatma Gandhi had developed his philosophy of non-violence, the MEA said.

"She would also participate in a series of events on June 6-7, 2018 at Pietermaritzburg, South Africa to commemorate the 125th Anniversary of the historic incident in the train compartment that became a catalyst for Gandhiji's Satyagraha movement," the MEA said.

The two-day commemoration activities will also include release of joint stamps on Oliver Tambo and Deen Dayal Upadhayaa and a Youth Summit where 20 diaspora youth from Africa and five from India will give a speech on the relevance of Gandhi’s message of peace to the youth of current generation.

Tambo was a South African anti-apartheid activist and revolutionary leader.

"The year 2018 is an important year for India-South Africa relations as it marks the 25 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the 125th anniversary of the Pietermaritzburg railway station incident and the 100th birth centenary of South African iconic leader, Nelson Mandela," the MEA said.

India and South Africa have extremely close and friendly relations which are rooted in history and the values of south-south cooperation.

"The visit of External Affairs Minister will further strengthen our close and long standing ties with South Africa," the MEA said.