Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
JOINT COMMUNIQUE ON THE OCCASION OF THE VISIT TO JAPAN BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI FROM 7-10 APRIL, 1998.
JOINT COMMUNIQUE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICA JAPAN FOR THE 21st CENTURY
1. At the invitation of the Government of Japan, South African Deputy President Thabo Mbeki and Mrs Zanele Mbeki, accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad and senior officials, visited Japan from 7-10 April, 1998. During the course of the visit, the Deputy President and Mrs Mbeki had an audience with Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress at the Imperial Palace.
2. Deputy President Mbeki exchanged a wide range of views of future bilateral and multilateral relations with Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, Minister for Foreign Affairs Keizo Obuchi, and Minister of International Trade and Industry Mitsuo Horiuchi.
3. Deputy President Mbeki and Minister for Foreign Affairs Obuchi signed an Exchange of Notes that would make available a loan for utilisation by the Development Bank of Southern Africa for the Rural Social Infrastructure Programme. The South African Government also agreed in principles to the deployment of Japan overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) to South Africa, and both Governments decided to work towards a mutually acceptable agreement in this regard.
4. The Japanese side highly appreciated the determined efforts by the South Africans to seek nation-building in a spirit of national reconciliation, and expressed its support for South Africa's sound macro-economic strategy (GEAR) and Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). The Japanese side also recognised South Africa's important role in the global community, including its chairmanship of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the forthcoming Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
5. During the course of the discussions, both sides acknowledged each other as important partners in their pursuit of a common world order based on peace, democracy, justice and equality. The recognised the comprehensive political and economic elationship already existing between them and they decided to deepen, strengthen and diversify their economic relationship. Both sides will cooperate in the pursuit of the adding of value to raw materials and the development of South Africa as a manufacturing base.
6. Both sides recognised that South Africa and Japan shared many similar objectives with regard to key multilateral issues, such as the need for nuclear nonproliferation, banning on anti-personnel landmines, mine clearance and assistance to victims, the promotion of democracy, human rights and good governance,ine clearance and assistance to victims, the promotion of democracy, human rights and good governance, and the protection of the environment. They shared the view on the urgent need for the reform of the UN to reflect new global realities.
7. South Africa expressed support for Japan's Permanent Membership of an enlarged UN Security Council, and South Africa was of the view that the reform of the UN Security Council should be carried out in a democratic, transparent and inclusive manner, based on the principles of sovereign equality of states and equitable geographic representation.
8. Views were also exchanged on the African Renaissance already underway, and the Governments of South Africa and Japan recognised that Japan had an important contribution to make to the economic modernisation and development of Africa, as well as supporting conflict resolution and peace-keeping efforts in the continent. Both Governments acknowledged that TICAD-II had an important and unique contribution to make to the African Renaissance and emphasised the importance of global partnership in preventing the marginalisation of Africa in an increasingly global world.
9. Both sides recognised that the agenda for the economic development of Africa should be based on the principle of African ownership and carried out in partnership with Africa. They also shared the view that the SADC provided outstanding trade and investment opportunities and decided to exploit these to the fullest. The Japanese Government would actively encourage Japanese private sector investment to Africa, including the SADC countries.
10. Both sides also affirmed private-sector development, industrial development, continued dialogue on the opening-up of markets in developed countries to African products, a substantial and effective solution to debt relief, and continued support through ODA for poverty alleviation, and infrastructure and human resources development, as essential for the economic development of Africa.
11. In order to also expand relations further in various areas, the Government of South Africa and Japan decided to establish a "Japan-South Africa Partnership Forum" co-chaired by Ministers in order to strengthen cooperation in the areas such as international affairs, trade and investment, economic cooperation, science and technology, and cultural exchanges.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA 9 APRIL 1998