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    A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to take action over South Africa's "support for Russia."

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    U.S. lawmakers' letter on South Africa

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    A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to take action over South Africa's "support for Russia."

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    14K views2 pages

    U.S. Lawmakers' Letter On South Africa

    Uploaded by

    CBS News
    A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to take action over South Africa's "support for Russia."

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 2

    June 9, 2023

    Secretary Antony J. Blinken


    U.S. Department of State
    2201 C St. NW
    Washington, D.C. 20520
    Ambassador Katherine C. Tai
    Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
    600 17th St. NW
    Washington, D.C. 20006
    The Honorable Jacob J. Sullivan
    National Security Advisor
    The White House
    1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW,
    Washington, D.C. 20500
    Dear Secretary Blinken, Ambassador Tai, and Mr. Sullivan:
    The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is the cornerstone of the United States’
    economic relationship with Sub-Saharan Africa, enabling deeper commercial ties and
    strengthening U.S. relationships with the region. We strongly support this program, and support
    its reauthorization well ahead of its expiration in 2025. The annual AGOA Forum offers an
    important opportunity for U.S. and African leaders to bolster economic and diplomatic relations,
    and we support your continued work to convene a forum in Africa this year. However, we wish
    to express serious concerns with current plans to host this year’s AGOA Forum in South Africa.
    South Africa’s government has formally taken a neutral stance on Russia’s unlawful invasion of
    Ukraine, but has deepened its military relationship with Russia over the past year. Late last year,
    a Russian cargo vessel subject to U.S. sanctions docked in South Africa’s largest naval port, and
    intelligence suggests that the South African government used this opportunity to covertly supply
    Russia with arms and ammunition that could be used in its illegal war in Ukraine. In February,
    South Africa held joint military exercises with Russia and China, and in April, authorized a
    Russian military cargo plane—also subject to U.S. sanctions—to land at a South African air
    force base. On top of this, in August, South Africa will host the BRICS Summit where the
    government aims to strengthen its ties with China and Russia and is working to facilitate the
    participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite the outstanding arrest warrant issued
    by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
    We are seriously concerned that hosting the 2023 AGOA Forum in South Africa would serve as
    an implicit endorsement of South Africa’s damaging support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
    and possible violation of U.S. sanctions law. Further, these actions by South Africa call into
    question its eligibility for trade benefits under AGOA due to the statutory requirement that
    beneficiary countries “not engage in activities that undermine United States national security or
    Page 2

    foreign policy interests.” While we understand that the AGOA eligibility review process for
    2024 is underway and that decisions have not yet been made, we question whether a country in
    danger of losing AGOA benefits should have the privilege of hosting the 2023 AGOA Forum.
    Our concerns are shared by many South African citizens and businesses, who are increasingly
    vocal about deteriorating conditions in the country.
    We encourage you to explore other possible locations to host this year’s forum: we believe it is
    important that the forum take place this year and that it be held in Africa, continuing the tradition
    of alternating the forum’s location between the United States and an AGOA-eligible country. If
    South Africa continues to demonstrate support for Russia in its unlawful invasion of Ukraine,
    then hosting the forum in another country in Sub-Saharan Africa would send a clear and
    important message that the United States continues to stand with Ukraine and will not accept our
    trading partners provision of aid to Russia’s ongoing and brutal invasion.
    Thank you, we appreciate your attention to this issue.
    Sincerely,

    CHRISTOPHER A. COONS JAMES E. RISCH


    Chairman, Subcommittee on State, Foreign Ranking Member, Senate Foreign Relations
    Operations, and Related Programs Committee
    Senate Committee on Appropriations

    GREGORY W. MEEKS MICHAEL T. MCCAUL


    Ranking Member, House Foreign Affairs Chairman, House Foreign Affairs Committee
    Committee

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