Readout of Vice President Biden's Meeting with South African Deputy President Motlanthe

The Vice President met today with South African Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe. The meeting was indicative of the deepening and expanding relations between our two nations. They discussed several concrete ways in which the United States and South Africa will continue to work to advance our shared goals, including development, security, and economic interests.

The Vice President and Deputy President highlighted the importance of the U.S. - South Africa Strategic Dialogue, which Secretary of State Clinton and Minister Mashabane launched in April during President Zuma's visit to the United States. The Strategic Dialogue is a framework in which the United States and South Africa discuss bilateral and multilateral issues of shared interest and common concern, including in the fields of health, education, agriculture, law enforcement, trade, investment, energy, nuclear security and non-proliferation, climate change, and regional security.

The Vice President lauded South Africa's achievements in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Working together, our countries have made significant strides toward combating this disease. They agreed it is critical that we sustain these gains into the future.

The two leaders discussed the situation in Zimbabwe, and the Vice President commended South Africa for its leadership in trying to advance the process of reconciliation. They underscored the importance of the future of Sudan and of South Africa's high level engagement to help ensure a stable and viable future for all Sudanese.

They also talked about the many global initiatives the United States and South Africa are actively working on together, including taking concrete steps to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and toward a world without them, reversing the ill effects of climate change, and ensuring food security for all people.