Ramaphosa, Biden Lay Ground for Strong Ties

20 NOV, 2020 - 00:11 

Johannesburg. — President Cyril Ramaphosa says he is hopeful of a strong partnership between the United States and the African continent following the recent poll victory of Mr Joe Biden.

This follows a call between Ramaphosa and US President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday during which the leaders discussed ways to strengthen US-Africa relations and overcome the Covid-19 pandemic.

US media reports indicate that other issues on the agenda include stamping out corruption, the containment of Covid-19, the recovery of the global economy, as well as the issue of climate change.

In a statement released by the South African presidency, President Ramaphosa indicated that he was positive on the strong relationship with the US under a Biden presidency.

“President-Elect Biden and Vice-President-Elect Kamala Harris have identified Africa as a major player in international affairs and in the advancement of multilateralism.

“The leaders recalled a visit to South Africa by President-Elect Biden during the dark days of apartheid, where Mr Biden demonstrated his commitment to human rights and dignity for all South Africans.”

Biden expressed his admiration for what the democratic South Africa has achieved. Ramaphosa said he looked forward to a strong partnership at a bilateral level and between the United States and the continent of Africa.

President Ramaphosa also wished Mr Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris well for their term in office.

Democratic candidate, Biden, was elected the 46th president of the United States of America earlier this month, beating the incumbent Republican, Donald Trump in the Presidential elections. Biden secured 50,6 percent of the votes, with Trump getting 47,7 percent.

Investec chief economist, Annabel Bishop, said that the leader of the Democrats is expected to bring greater controls to flatten the Covid-19 curve and engender sustainable economic recovery – creating positive market sentiment.

“The Democratic party is expected to undo a number of policies implemented by Trump, including the most severe on immigration, returning to global agreements on the climate (and in particular re-joining the Paris Agreement) and improving US foreign policy,” Bishop said.

“A Biden presidency is expected to lay the foundations for a sustainable long-term future for the US, and global, economy, as well as bringing in as much fiscal stimulus as possible to ensure a sustainable economic recovery in the short and medium-term, without politicking.”

— BusinessTech.