ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh has expressed his hope forstrengthened ties between ASEAN and South Africa, as well as between thebloc and the African Union and the Southern African DevelopmentCommunity.

He made the remark while meeting with South AfricanAmbassador to ASEAN Pakamisa Augustine Sifuba recently, who presentedhis letter of credence.

As ASEAN is pushing ahead to buildits community in 2015, the expansion of its external relations with newand emerging partners - especially countries and organisations fromAfrica and Latin America - is also high on the grouping’s agenda, henoted.

Ambassador Sifuba expressed South Africa ’skeen interest in further exploring cooperation with ASEAN in areas ofmutual interest such as trade, investment, people-to-people contacts,South-South cooperation, and the sharing of experience in regionaleconomic integration.

On this occasion, SecretaryGeneral Minh and Ambassador Sifuba discussed international and regionalissues of common concern, including the United Nations (UN) reform andinternational efforts to promote non-proliferation.

Theyunderlined the importance of maintaining peace and stability to create aconducive environment for development in the two regions, as well asenhancing coordination in wider international forums such as the UN andthe G-20.

Sifuba succeeded Noel N. Lehoko, who finished his tenure as South African Ambassador to ASEAN in December 2013.-VNA