In a recent development, the White House has voiced its concerns regarding South Africa’s relationship with Russia.
By Agence France-Presse
BRICS will discuss admission of new members at its annual summit in Cape Town. Image via: Wikimedia Commons.
The White House said Tuesday it shared concerns over South Africa’s relationship with Russia after lawmakers called for the longtime US partner’s expulsion from a major trade pact.
Four senior members of the US Congress across party lines asked whether South Africa should remain in the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, which offers duty-free access into the world’s largest economy for sub-Saharan African countries that meet democratic criteria.
“We share Congress’s concern about South Africa’s potential security partnership with Russia,” Judd Devermont, the top White House official on sub-Saharan Africa, told reporters when asked about the lawmakers’ letter.
He stopped short of discussing South Africa’s future in the trade pact, saying only,
“The law is very clear on what we’ll follow, and that won’t change for South Africa.”
Molly Phee, the top State Department official on sub-Saharan Africa, said the United States had “respect” for South Africa’s “longstanding policy of nonalignment.”
Comments are closed.