We shouldn't cut off engagement (with Iran) or take a hard position (on Russia), Pandor says

South Africa is trying to isolate Israel in various ways for its reported human rights violations in Palestine and has taken a firm position on the Israel-Hamas war, but don't expect it to do the same when it comes to Iran and Russia, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor told an American audience this week.

In both those cases, the best thing South Africa can do is keep talking, Pandor said in a conversation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, one of a series of talks she is giving while visiting the US this week.

In the case of Iran, South Africa seeks to be an example of the benefits of democracy; in the case of Russia, it seeks to keep lines of communication open and help mediate peace.