The implications BREXIT might have on South Africa (SA) and Africa; the growing emphasis on South-South solidarity; and recalibrating SA’s relations with the European Union (EU) were some of the themes explored during a two-day workshop with the aim to strengthen SA and EU relations.

Hosted by the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) SARChI Chair in African Diplomacy and Foreign Policy, in collaboration with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung South Africa (FES), the workshop (21 – 22 July 2016) saw scholars and practitioners from both Europe and South Africa contributing their perspectives in reviewing key areas that fall within the scope of the Joint Action Plan.

“Following the economic crisis in 2008, and more recently the furore over the outcomes of the ‘BREXIT’ debacle, which is reshaping internal EU relations, this workshop is of great importance given the different perspective on how these relations are understood and are unfolding,” said Prof Chris Landsberg, Director: SARChI Chair of African Diplomacy & Foreign Policy, UJ.

He pointed out that emphasis was also placed on relations with SA, and the continent.

Key contributions were also made by Ms Renate Tenbusch Director: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Advocate M Cassimjee, Director: Regional Organisations, Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and Ambassador Marcus Cornaro, Head of the EU Delegation in Pretoria.