International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, says recent logistical challenges that the Presidential Protection Unit experienced in Poland have not affected the relationship between the two countries.
Pandor was speaking to the SABC News on the margins of the working visit by the Heads of Government from Denmark and the Netherlands.
Pandor says, “While we were in Poland, we had several hours to wait for the train that we were to take to Ukraine and during the period in Warsaw, we had a meeting with the leadership of Poland and it went exceptionally well, to a degree that the President has indicated the willingness to undertake an official visit to Poland.”
She says, “It is important to indicate from our side that DIRCO does not make the arrangements with regards to the president’s security, this is left to the Presidential Protection Unit and the responsible party would be the minister of police, so I really think that they are the one that should speak on this matter.
“From the perspective of DIRCO through the usual diplomatic processes we made arrangements for meeting Ukraine, all the protocol arrangements, all the necessary communications and the fact that out meetings proceeded well means that our ambassadors, Ambassador (Mzuvukile) Maqetuka in Russia and Ambassador (Andre) Groenewald in Ukraine did their job,” Pandor adds.
VIDEO: Below is the full interview with Minister Pandor:
