By Thapelo Molefe
In a bid to strengthen bilateral relations, South Africa and Ukraine have made significant progress on a visa-free access agreement to SA for diplomatic service and official passport holders.
However, the deal remains unsigned, pending completion of diplomatic processes.
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola confirmed the development during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, in Pretoria on Monday.
“It is imperative that we manage to identify areas of mutual benefit for both our countries, to take our bilateral relations to another level,” he stated.
This follows a public disagreement between Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, which unfolded across social media platforms over the weekend.
Regarding the visa free access agreement, Lamola noted: “The signing of the long-awaited agreement on visa waiver for diplomatic service and official passports will follow the diplomatic processes. Once those processes have been concluded,
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