Foreign policy: DA, ANC closer

COMPROMISE: ALIGNS STANCE ON ISSUES SUCH CHINA, RUSSIAN TRADE IN INTERESTS OF GNU

- Eric Naki

The foreign policies of the ANC and the DA, as the main parties in the government of national unity, appear to be converging as they attempt to preserve the delicate coalition.

While they seem to be going in the same direction in dealing with China and Russia on trade matters, there are some unresolved matters in their approaches towards the raging conflicts in Israel and Ukraine.

The DA has yet to clarify its stance on the Middle East and Ukraine, as it loosens up on its dogmatic pro-West foreign policy approach and tries to familiarise itself with old, non-Western ANC allies.

However, DA leader John Steenhuisen indicated that the party would not follow a rigid ideological foreign policy outlook. Instead it would take a pragmatic approach that put the country's interests first.

While some expected the DA to be antagonistic towards China as it is a socialist country and to Russia as an old enemy of the West, Steenhuisen was optimistic about the two countries.