South Africa and the US have signed a strategic dialogue deal to boost diplomatic exchanges.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane signed the Strategic Dialogue on Wednesday.

The Strategic Dialogue is aimed at reviving and strengthening the Annual Bilateral Forum (ABF) between two countries under the leadership of Presidents Zuma and Obama.

Areas of cooperation include health, education, food security, law enforcement, trade, investment, energy, and nonproliferation.

Both Nkoana-Mashabane and Clinton proposed the creation of the dialogue last year when she visited South Africa.

The ABF will meet annually in Pretoria to review the work of various existing and potential bilateral issue-based working groups and to identify goals for bilateral relationships.

The next forum, which is scheduled for May 12 and May 13, is expected to discuss issues on bilateral cooperation such as transportation security, health, arts and cultural cooperation, climate change/sustainable resources - energy and water.

The US and South Africa have over the years signed many agreements such as the recent Energy Dialogue earlier this month.

Other deals include the launch of the Non-proliferation and Disarmament Dialogue in August 2009 as well as the Cooperation on Nuclear Energy Research and Development in September 2009