Johannesburg,South Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa is meeting with the King Willem-Alexander of the Kingdom of Netherlands and his delegation at the Union Buildings who are in state visit in South Africa.

The meeting of these two leaders is one of those that will be used to strengthen the bilateral relations between two countries which share a long history traced back in 1652 when first Dutch settlers arrived in the Cape.

During his speech,President Ramaphosa has acknowledged that Netherlands has played a crucial role in the post-colonial era in the fight against apartheid.

He admitted that the Dutch influence is still existing in the country as everybody knows that the Afrikaans language has its origins in Dutch,and it is the home language of Dutch descendants in the country.

He mentioned that their meeting with the Dutch royal family is one of those efforts to continue strengthen the relations between two states and confront injustices of the past which perpetrated by Dutch descendants against black South Africans.

"The strength of our bilateral relations today and the bonds between our respective peoples reflect a commitment to acknowledge and confront the injustices of our past.

"We are determined to forge a new path for our respective countries based on shared values,and a common commitment to human rights,equality,development and prosperity for all.

"We are determined to build the bridges of tolerance and understanding in pursuit of a better future and better world,"said Ramaphosa.

According to Ramaphosa's speech,King Willem-Alexander has apologised for the role which played by his country when it come to slave trade and they spoke about international issues too such as ongoing conflicts in different part of the world.

"In this regard,Your Majesty,I wish to acknowledge the apology that you have made for your country's role in the slave trade,including in South Africa. This was an important step towards promoting reconciliation,restoration and healing old wounds.

"We are meeting at a time when our resolve to build a peaceful,equal future is being sorely tested,and where reconciliation and healing is most sorely needed.

"The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the devastating events unfolding in Israel and Palestine have left many of us saddened.They have left us fearful for the future of international cooperation and for our common aspiration to realise a world free of conflict.

"As South Africa we have reiterated that there should be an immediate cessation of hostilities between the warring parties,that the tenets of international law should be upheld,and that the international community has a responsibility to bring about favourable conditions for negotiation and dialogue.

"As a country that chose the path of reconciliation over conflict,and peace over war,we believe it is indeed possible for adversaries,even those that share bitter histories,to come together for the sake of peace.We believe change can never come too late,and that it is indeed possible.

"The relationship between our two countries is testament to this.The Netherlands is a former colonial power but is now supporting development and economic growth across the developing world,including in former Dutch colonies,"he added.

Ramaphosa thanked Netherlands for supporting South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic by offering this country different kinds of support to fight the pandemic.

It is evident that these countries are working hard to strengthen their relations because even the Prime Minister of the Netherlands has visited South Africa few months ago.