By Sahil Pandey
New Delhi [India], June 2 : In a major boost to India's global healthcare standing, South Africa has hailed New Delhi as the "pharmacy of the world", expressing deep gratitude for its critical medical assistance to the African continent amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
The remarks were made by South Africa's Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Anna Thandi Moraka, who is currently in New Delhi as part of a high-level delegation led by South African Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile.
In an interaction with ANI, Moraka also confirmed a massive diplomatic development, stating that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will travel to India this September to attend the high-profile BRICS Summit.
"India is always globally regarded as the pharmacy of the world. We continue to get a lot of pharmaceutical products to the continent of Africa, not only due to the current outbreak of Ebola," Moraka told ANI, emphasising the life-saving impact of the India-Africa strategic healthcare alliance.
"India has always been supporting African member states in the fight against HIV and AIDS, because you know that it has been a serious challenge on the continent of Africa. It is because of the partnership and the cooperation at a strategic level within the health sector between African Member States and the Republic of India," she added, calling for the maintenance of these vital ties.
Extending Pretoria's full backing to New Delhi's ongoing BRICS Chairmanship, the Deputy Minister expressed high expectations for the upcoming leadership summit in September.
"We want to take this opportunity and wish India all the very best of luck during the chairmanship of BRICS, and we want to indicate that South Africa, through our President, President Cyril Ramaphosa, will be attending the BRICS Summit that will be happening in India in September. We're looking forward to a more strategic partnership that can advance the interests of the countries of the global south," she stated.
Underlining a shared geopolitical vision, Moraka also revealed that South Africa has extended an open invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the country to jointly navigate an increasingly volatile international landscape.
"We are here in India, and we have been inviting the Prime Minister of India to come to South Africa, so that we can continuously engage on these important global developments, because the world has always been experiencing the ever-changing global balance of forces. So we need to be closer to each other as progressive partners," she said.
Invoking the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, the Deputy Minister concluded by noting that the foundational bond between the two nations has successfully evolved into a robust economic framework driving trade and investments today.