Van der Bellen in South Africa: New chapter of the partnership begins!
Van der Bellen in South Africa: New chapter of the partnership begins!
As part of a historical visit to South Africa, the Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen continues his journey in Cape Town. This is the first official visit of an Austrian president in the country. He is accompanied by his wife Doris Schmidauer and a cultural and business delegation. Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger could not travel, but was still interested in the support of Van der Bellens for closer relationships with Africa.
At a reception by the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria, it was emphasized that this is a “new era” in bilateral relationships. Six ministers of the South African government were present at the appointments, which underlines the importance of visiting. Meinl-Reisinger plans to travel to Subsahara Africa in autumn to promote the opening of a liaison office of the African Union in Vienna.
commitment to disadvantaged young people
A central topic of the visit is the “Cooktastic” project, which was co-founded by Brigitte Sachs-Schaffer. The aim of this initiative is to offer training opportunities for disadvantaged young people in South Africa. A remarkable success: 88% of the participants of the half -year course have been employed in the past five years, some even as seasonal workers in Austria. The training is supported by volunteers from Austria and contributes to improving living standards.
The bakery under the direction of Togara Mabharani is an example of commitment in this area. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Mabharani brings a passion for baking that he already developed in childhood. He completed a hotel and catering management course and worked in renowned institutions before using his skills in the training of bakers and Pâtissiers.
criticism and human rights
The President's journey was not entirely without controversy. The FPÖ expressed sharp criticism of van der Bellen regarding his statements about human rights crimes on white farmers in South Africa, while Ramaphosa rejected the allegations as "nonsense" and thanked for the Austrian president related to a clear position.
The strategic importance of a deeper partnership with Africa was highlighted by Meinl-Reisinger. Your plan to work closer together with African states not only reflects economic interests, but also social responsibility, especially through initiatives such as "CookTastic". The continuous development of these projects shows the commitment to sustainably improve the living environment in Africa.
For more information about the “Cooktastic” project, visit the website of Cooktastic . In addition, youth offers a world a variety of projects in Africa that focus on the support of young people.
The efforts and results are an important step towards improved cooperation between Austria and the African continent, such as DetailsOrt Pretoria, Südafrika Quellen
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