Deputy Minister Alvin Botes DIRCO-SAIIA Symposium Welcoming Remarks.mp3

Deputy Minister Alvin Botes delivering welcoming remarks and introducing Minister Ronald Lamola at DIRCO-SAIIA Pre-Budget Vote Symposium held at Kelvin Grove, Newlands, Cape Town. South Africa’s foreign policy priorities have recently been advanced through (but not limited to) its successful 2025 G20 Presidency. On the horizon for the continued advancement of these foreign policy imperatives, is the chairship of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and two-year tenure on the African Union Peace and Security Council, reinforcing its role in shaping both global governance and continental stability. How do these advancements and positions mirror South Africa’s national interests and domestic realities? As part of an ongoing series of public policy engagements held jointly by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, this public symposium is an ongoing effort to bring international relations closer to different sectors of society including: media, academia, students, think tanks, private sector, community organisations, political organisations, and the diplomatic corps. This symposium accordingly provides a platform to critically examine these intersecting issues and to craft informed, forward-looking responses suited to Africa’s contemporary realities.