International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane arrived in Zambia on Wednesday to co-chair the second session of the Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) with her Zambian counterpart Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba.

The JCC takes places prior to President Jacob Zuma’s scheduled meeting with Zambian President Edgar Lungu on October 12 and 13 in Zambia.

The JCC is a structured bilateral mechanism which meets each year to allow both countries to deepen cooperation by exploring new areas of mutual benefit.

There is a standing mid-term review under the JCC which monitors and ensures the implementation of decisions and signed agreements.

The current areas of cooperation between both countries include agriculture, energy, mineral resources, trade, finance, defence, environment, public enterprises, science and technology, health, labour, arts and culture and tourism.

New areas of cooperation are being explored and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be initiated in areas such as information and communications technology, broadcasting, higher and basic education, youth affairs, sport and recreation, small business development, public works and local government.

More than twenty agreements or MoUs have been signed between the two countries.

The total exports to Zambia in 2016 amounted to R30.5-billion and total imports from Zambia amounted to R2.7-billion, ensuring that Zambia is among South Africa’s top three trading partners on the continent.