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South Africa and Angola through the Regional Spatial Development Initiative Programme (RSDIP) and the Industrial Development Institute of Angola (IDIA) have signed an agreement on technical cooperation.

RSDIP is the Department of Trade and Industry’s spatial development initiative based at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). It is tasked with identifying infrastructure and industrial development opportunities in the Southern African Development Communities (SADC) region. IDIA is under the Ministry of Geology, Mines and Industry in Angola. The main duties of the Institute are to instigate industrial development that will enable the creation of national economic integration and equilibrium between diverse regions of the country.

Speaking during the signing ceremony the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Elizabeth Thabethe thanked all the role players who draft the agreement and ensured the interests of both countries, and the region as whole were taken into consideration.

“The intention of the agreement is to support the infrastructure development that is currently taking place in Angola and make sure that small and big industries are supported through such programmes,” said Thabethe

Thabethe added that the South African Government was committed to taking the implementation of the programme to the next level and indicated that infrastructure development was also one of the major projects that government was currently undertaking.

Angola’s Deputy Minister of Geology, Mines and Industry Dr Kiala Gabriel said the agreement would assist with the infrastructure backlog that his country was currently facing.

“We acknowledge the work done by the South African government and businesses in our country. We are now saying our market is ready for investment and cooperation with other countries,’’ added Dr Gabriel

The agreement emanate from the 2009 Memorandum of Understanding on Trade and Industrial Cooperation signed by the Minister of Trade and Industry Dr.Rob Davies and his counterpart in Angola.