Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, former PM Manmohan Singh meet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Rahul Gandhi met South African president Cyril Ramaphosa and are learnt to have discussed issues of mutual interest on Saturday.

Ramaphosa, who arrived on Friday, is in the national capital as the chief guest for the 70th Republic Day celebrations. He discussed issues of mutual interest with Rahul Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.

The South African president, who is also the president of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) also invited Gandhi to his country and he accepted. Details are being worked out by the foreign affairs departments of the two parties, the party said.

"President Ramaphosa invited Shri Rahul Gandhi to visit South Africa and the invitation was accepted and the details will be worked out by the foreign affairs departments of the two parties," said senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, who also also present during the meeting.

"President Ramaphosa lauded India's role in the fight against Apartheid. Both, the ANC president and Congress president Rahul Gandhi reaffirmed the commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two fraternal parties," the former Union minister said.

Anand Sharma said the two parties have century old historic ties and leaders of both the parties had a discussion on party-to-party, regional and global issues.