India, South Africa to discuss visa regime

PRETORIA: Tight visa regime and constrains in aviation links, the two key irritants in bilateral ties, are likely to be taken up at the India-South Africa Joint Commission meeting scheduled here next month.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will be attending the meeting on November 12 and 13, which takes place close on the heels of the India-South Africa-Brazil (IBSA) summit which hopes to increase the trade relations among the three nations to USD10 billion in the next few years.

While the Indian visa regime for South Africa was extremely liberal and the people doing business with South Africa were happy, there was difficulty in this front from South Africa.

"We see some progress and we need to have more progress. There should be more client-friendly atmosphere," sources in the Indian High Commission here said adding there was "trust deficit" on this front.

However, South Africa's head of Asia and Middle East Section in the Department of Foreign Affairs Jerry Matjila said that efforts were being made to increase the capacity.

As many as 4,000 people from India were asking for "political asylum" in South Africa and Pretoria wanted New Delhi to ensure that bonafide businessmen and genuine persons were not put to any inconvenience, he said.

On the aviation front, sources in the Indian High Commission said that there were constraints in the aviation links between the two countries.