PRETORIA, South Africa, June 25 (Xinhua) -- South Africa on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to an independent and non-aligned foreign policy, urging the United States to engage through diplomatic channels to raise concerns.
This comes after U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Brent Bozell III questioned Pretoria's hosting of Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh for bilateral talks.
"South Africa can't claim the mantle of non-alignment while actively courting America's adversaries," Bozell posted on social platform X on Wednesday.
In a statement issued by South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the department said the country had taken note of the remarks and considered it necessary to reaffirm the principles guiding the country's foreign policy.
"As a sovereign nation, South Africa pursues an independent foreign policy firmly anchored in the principle of non-alignment. Non-alignment must not be conflated with neutrality; we refuse to be drawn into geopolitical contestations or be pressured to take sides; instead, we prioritise inclusive dialogue, global peace, and our own national interests," said DIRCO.
The department said South Africa remains committed to utilizing established diplomatic channels to engage the United States and trusts that such protocols will be mutually upheld moving forward. ■