South African: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa send message to Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al MaktoumUAE state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash. (GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images) South Africa on Thursday confirmed its participation in Expo 2020 Dubai.
Dr Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, met with Paul Mashatile, Treasurer General of the African National Congress and the Envoy of the South African President, state news agency WAM reported.
It said Gargash received from Mashatile a message from the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, confirming South Africa’s participation.
During the meeting, the parties also discussed bilateral relations between the two countries, the latest developments in the international and regional arena, ways to further develop cooperation relations in the economic and political fields, as well as other issues of common interest.
Expo 2020 Dubai will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021 and is expected to record 25 million visits, with 70 percent anticipated to come from outside the UAE.
More than 180 countries are expected to take part in Expo 2020 Dubai, and 170 nations have either publically or privately confirmed their participation to date.