February 13, 2013.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Nomvelo Buthelezi.

Making headlines:

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane says South Africa’s trade and economic relations need improvement.

The EU unblocks €250-million of aid funds to Mali.

And, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe says the agriculture sector must profit.

South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane says the State recognises that the level and momentum of the country’s trade, economic relations and technical cooperation efforts needed to be improved.

She addressed the media after a bilateral meeting with visiting Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, at which the Ministers sought to finalise the preparations for the planned State visit of Russian Federation President Vadimir Putin on March 28.

Nkoana-Mashabane said that South Africa’s challenge and priority going forward was to focus the country’s attention and resources on critical priorities, concrete projects and instruments that would enhance its economic relations and technical cooperation, while simultaneously identifying and addressing the challenges that constrain these relations.

She added that there was scope for substantive and mutually beneficial cooperation arising from previously agreed and pending agreements.

The European Union is set to unblock €250-million in development aid to Mali. The aid was frozen after a March 2012 coup that allowed Islamist insurgents to seize cities and territory in the north of the desert country.

Europe's development chief Andris Piebalgs told a meeting of EU aid ministers in Dublin that the aid money will be gradually restored this year. He added that the EU was satisfied Mali had taken steps towards restoring democratic government.

Piebalgs said that the swift adoption by the Malian authorities of a transition roadmap to restore democracy and stability has opened the door for lifting the precautionary measures taken after the coup d'etat of March 2012.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said on Tuesday that the government has an interest in ensuring the agricultural sector was profitable.

Speaking at the end of a "dialogue" with farmers and commercial farming organisations in the Western Cape town of Paarl, he stressed the importance of the farming sector remaining competitive internationally.

Among the issues raised by those at the dialogue was the recent increase in the minimum farmworkers' wage to R105 a day, the quality of water available to farmers, increasing electricity costs, and transport infrastructure such as roads.

Also making headlines:

Foreign Minister John Baird says the situation in Mali is threatening to become another Afghanistan.

The UN Security Council is expected to back Mali peacekeepers in the approaching weeks.

South African Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities Lulu Xingwana calls for the toughest sentence for men accused of raping a teenage girl in Bredasdorp.

And, South Sudan accuses Sudan of building-up troops along their border.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.