Washington, D.C. – Today, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), and Senate Foreign Relations Africa Subcommittee Chairman Chris Coons (D-DE) met with President of South Africa Jacob Zuma.
 
Menendez, Royce, and Coons issued the following joint statement after the meeting:

“The ties between our democratic nations are historic and strong.  We recognize South Africa’s growing leadership across Africa and the world and look forward to expanding our cooperation to address global challenges and deepen our bilateral partnership.”
 
The Chairmen and the President discussed the importance of cooperation to address the many issues in which our interests converge, including on nonproliferation, combating HIV/AIDS, countering illicit wildlife trafficking, and facilitating trade and investment.
 
The group noted the situation in neighboring Zimbabwe and asked President Zuma to work with regional governments to help ensure the realization of the Zimbabwean people’s democratic aspirations.
 
The Chairmen welcomed additional cooperation to address peace and security challenges in Africa, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and South Sudan, and around the world.

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