South Africa’s (SA) International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola and his Mexican counterpart Roberto Velasco Alvarez have held talks in Mexico City.

The aim of the talks is to strengthen bilateral ties between SA and Mexico.

The meeting comes ahead of the Binational Commission between SA and the north American country, and a historic sporting encounter.

Bafana Bafana and Mexico will meet again on Thursday in football’s biggest stage, 16 years after they played in the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Lamola says, “SA and Mexico have got a very good bonds of relations spending many years and decades, we just need to strengthen economic relations, but also people to people because of the distance.”

He says, “This World Cup is a good opportunity, I’m glad SA Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille is here, SA Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie, the cultural exchange will build that people to people exchange and I believe that these two countries can build on two economies.”

Lamola has also wished Bafana Bafana well and predicts they will win 2-1.

—SABC—