(MENAFN) South African President Cyril Ramaphosa began a pivotal three-nation tour of Asia on Wednesday, underscoring Pretoria’s drive to strengthen ties with Southeast Asian economies.

The trip, covering Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia, is designed to enhance South Africa’s trade, attract investment, and reinforce multilateral cooperation.

Accompanying Ramaphosa are key cabinet members, including Defence Minister Angie Motshekga, Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, and Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Alvin Botes, along with a delegation of business leaders.

The tour opened in Jakarta, Indonesia, where Ramaphosa met Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday morning for bilateral talks.

The discussions, according to Subianto, were “good discussions concerning their bilateral relations”. A notable outcome was the decision to fast-track the defense cooperation agreement signed in 2023, coinciding with Indonesia’s recent entry into the BRICS group.

Ramaphosa outlined South Africa’s priorities for the visit, noting the central aim was to expand trade.

“We agreed on the need to increase trade between our two countries as a catalyst for inclusive economic growth,” he said. He stressed the goal of fostering “more resilient and diversified economies for the benefit of the peoples of both countries as we face similar geopolitical headwinds”.

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