Lamola: SA's foreign policy no longer solely focused on relations with West

JOHANNESBURG - International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola said that South Africa's foreign policy was no longer solely focused on its relations with the West.

Lamola was speaking at a general meeting with the Advocates for Transformation in Johannesburg on Saturday, where he discussed South Africa's role in the global struggle for the recognition of the global South.

The minister explained that the end of apartheid marked a shift in the country’s international outlook, opening doors to broader global engagements.

While acknowledging that the West continued to be an important partner, Lamola said that the country had diversified its international relations to include the global South and emerging economies.

"Our international relations today is universal. It is unrecognisable from that which prevailed during the period of apartheid. Strengthening South-South relations is a highly strategic objective in our the country's foreign policy," Lamola said.