Date: 14/07/2003
Source: Department of Foreign Affairs
Title: Dlamini Zuma: SA-Egypt Joint Bilateral Commission
OPENING REMARKS BY HE MINISTER NKOSAZANA DLAMINI ZUMA, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AT THE 6th SESSION OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN EGYPTIAN JOINT BILATERAL COMMISSION (JBC), 14 July 2003
Minister Maher
Your Excellencies
Distinguished delegates:
It gives me great pleasure to welcome all of you to this 6th session of the South African - Egyptian Joint Bilateral Commission. A special word of welcome is extended to my friend and colleague, His Excellency Minister Ahmed Maher, and his accompanying delegation. Minister, I sincerely hope that you were able to get some rest over the weekend, especially after the deliberations of the AU Summit in Maputo. I trust that your stay in South Africa has been and will continue to be fruitful and enjoyable.
As we start preparations for the celebration next year of South Africa's first decade of freedom and democracy, allow me to use this opportunity to once again thank the government and people of Egypt for the invaluable contribution made by your country in our long struggle for freedom. Not only did you welcome large numbers of South Africans into your country when they were being persecuted at home, but the government of Egypt brought the plight of the South African people to the attention of the United Nations and the world at large. This culminated in apartheid being declared a crime against humanity and laid down the first stepping-stone towards the freedom we enjoy today. And for this the people of South Africa will be eternally grateful toward Egypt.
These enduring historical linkages between South Africa and Egypt remain important to us today and nowhere is this more evident than in the leading roles played by South Africa and Egypt in the African Union and in the implementation of NEPAD.
Since relations between our two countries were normalised in 1994, our cooperation has grown to include virtually all aspects of government, from transport and health to justice, arts, culture, agriculture, science, technology, communication and numerous other fields. Regrettably, however, the trade exchanges between our two countries do not reflect these extremely good relations between South Africa and Egypt and I once again urge our businessmen and women to explore the vast number of opportunities available in both countries. Our collective challenge in this respect is to see a definite positive change in the trade statistics when we meet on the occasion of the seventh session of the Joint Bilateral Commission in Cairo.
It is noteworthy that we are convening the sixth session of the Joint Bilateral Commission just after the Maputo Summit, wherein our esteemed leaders have consolidated the initiatives of many months in cementing Pan African unity and chartering the way forward to achieving the social and economic programmes of NEPAD.
The operationalisation of the AU and its organs, particularly the Peace and Security Council and the Pan African Parliament is an urgent priority that we should jointly work towards. This was underscored by our heads of state at the Summit in Maputo. Our collective action to end conflicts and promote peace, security and stability on the continent will create conditions for social cohesion and economic development. As the economic development programme of the continent, NEPAD holds real prospects for lifting the continent out of the abyss of poverty and underdevelopment.
As our senior officials have deliberated over the last few days in developing and strengthening bilateral relations between our two great nations, we, as responsible nations of the African continent, now must continue to strive for peace in our regions.
We must not allow the attention of the world to be deviated from the plight of the poor, the destitute and victims of war.
Our common humanity should not allow us to be content when there are those amongst us that are living in conditions of war and violence and in conditions of squalor and abject poverty. In this regard we commend the government of Egypt for its unwavering efforts to reach an amicable and permanent solution to the continuing crisis in the Middle East.
Minister Maher
Your Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen:
In conclusion, I wish the participants well in their deliberations over the next two days and I am convinced that the outcome of your meetings will strengthen and enhance the bilateral relations between our two countries.
Thank you
Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
14 July 2003
Source: Department of Foreign Affairs
Title: Dlamini Zuma: SA-Egypt Joint Bilateral Commission
OPENING REMARKS BY HE MINISTER NKOSAZANA DLAMINI ZUMA, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AT THE 6th SESSION OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN EGYPTIAN JOINT BILATERAL COMMISSION (JBC), 14 July 2003
Minister Maher
Your Excellencies
Distinguished delegates:
It gives me great pleasure to welcome all of you to this 6th session of the South African - Egyptian Joint Bilateral Commission. A special word of welcome is extended to my friend and colleague, His Excellency Minister Ahmed Maher, and his accompanying delegation. Minister, I sincerely hope that you were able to get some rest over the weekend, especially after the deliberations of the AU Summit in Maputo. I trust that your stay in South Africa has been and will continue to be fruitful and enjoyable.
As we start preparations for the celebration next year of South Africa's first decade of freedom and democracy, allow me to use this opportunity to once again thank the government and people of Egypt for the invaluable contribution made by your country in our long struggle for freedom. Not only did you welcome large numbers of South Africans into your country when they were being persecuted at home, but the government of Egypt brought the plight of the South African people to the attention of the United Nations and the world at large. This culminated in apartheid being declared a crime against humanity and laid down the first stepping-stone towards the freedom we enjoy today. And for this the people of South Africa will be eternally grateful toward Egypt.
These enduring historical linkages between South Africa and Egypt remain important to us today and nowhere is this more evident than in the leading roles played by South Africa and Egypt in the African Union and in the implementation of NEPAD.
Since relations between our two countries were normalised in 1994, our cooperation has grown to include virtually all aspects of government, from transport and health to justice, arts, culture, agriculture, science, technology, communication and numerous other fields. Regrettably, however, the trade exchanges between our two countries do not reflect these extremely good relations between South Africa and Egypt and I once again urge our businessmen and women to explore the vast number of opportunities available in both countries. Our collective challenge in this respect is to see a definite positive change in the trade statistics when we meet on the occasion of the seventh session of the Joint Bilateral Commission in Cairo.
It is noteworthy that we are convening the sixth session of the Joint Bilateral Commission just after the Maputo Summit, wherein our esteemed leaders have consolidated the initiatives of many months in cementing Pan African unity and chartering the way forward to achieving the social and economic programmes of NEPAD.
The operationalisation of the AU and its organs, particularly the Peace and Security Council and the Pan African Parliament is an urgent priority that we should jointly work towards. This was underscored by our heads of state at the Summit in Maputo. Our collective action to end conflicts and promote peace, security and stability on the continent will create conditions for social cohesion and economic development. As the economic development programme of the continent, NEPAD holds real prospects for lifting the continent out of the abyss of poverty and underdevelopment.
As our senior officials have deliberated over the last few days in developing and strengthening bilateral relations between our two great nations, we, as responsible nations of the African continent, now must continue to strive for peace in our regions.
We must not allow the attention of the world to be deviated from the plight of the poor, the destitute and victims of war.
Our common humanity should not allow us to be content when there are those amongst us that are living in conditions of war and violence and in conditions of squalor and abject poverty. In this regard we commend the government of Egypt for its unwavering efforts to reach an amicable and permanent solution to the continuing crisis in the Middle East.
Minister Maher
Your Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen:
In conclusion, I wish the participants well in their deliberations over the next two days and I am convinced that the outcome of your meetings will strengthen and enhance the bilateral relations between our two countries.
Thank you
Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
14 July 2003
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