The first meeting of State Parties to the Convention on Anti-Personnel Mines in Maputo has prompted a number of high-level visitors to South Africa, who have met with Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad during the last week.
Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said today that, "these visits have again underlined the keen interest which important countries continue to show in the development of our democracy and especially our role in conflict areas, particularly in Africa". Over the week-end Deputy Minister Pahad met with Deputy Foreign Minister of Japan, Mr Keizo Takemi and discussed ways of maintaining the momentum on the Japanese TICAD development initiative for Africa. They also looked at ways of promoting joint South African-Japanese development projects in Southern Africa.
He also met with the German Deputy Foreign Minister, Dr Ludger Volmer, and thanked him for the Germany's significant contribution to the success of the SADC's peacekeeping exercise, Blue Crane. The Kosovo crisis was also discussed and Deputy Minister Pahad expressed support for the German initiative, which includes the need for the involvement of the United Nations Security Council in the search for a solution. The two Deputy Ministers also discussed the need to further promote cooperation between the Non-Aligned Movement and the G8.
During a meeting today in Pretoria with the Italian Deputy Foreign Minister, Senator Rino Serri, the discussion focussed on next year's planned EU-Africa Summit and also on the conflicts in the DRC and Angola. Deputy Minister Pahad also welcomed yesterday's call by the Italian Prime Minister Mr Massimo D'Alema for a greater role for the United Nations in the Kosovo crisis.
Deputy Minister Pahad then met with the Secretary-General of the Organisation for African Unity, Mr Salim Ahmed Salim. The meeting reiterated South Africa's condemnation of the coup d'etat in the Comoros last week and a call was again made to return the archipelago to constitutional rule and they urged the island of Anjouan to sign the Antananarivo Agreement without delay. The conflicts in the DRC and Angola were also discussed. Mr Salim leaves for Angola today where he will meet with the Angolan Government and thereafter he will return to South Africa on 7 May 1999 for further discussions. The Chairman of the United Nations Security Council's Sanctions Committee on Angola, Ambassador Robert Soler, is expected in Pretoria on 10 May 1999 for talks.
Deputy Minister Pahad also met with the Director-General for Political Affairs in the Foreign Ministry of Belgium, Mr Jean De Ruyt, with whom he discussed the conflicts in the DRC and Angola.
During a meeting with the Czech Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Martin Polous, Deputy Minister Pahad briefed his counterpart on regional developments with specific emphasis on the DRC and Angola. The two Deputy Ministers also discussed ways of promoting economic relations between the two countries. The Kosovo crisis was also discussed.
Deputy Minister Pahad will also meet with Mr Anders Bjurner, Swedish Deputy State Secretary for Political Affairs, in Pretoria tomorrow. It is expected that these talks will focus on conflict prevention, international efforts to combat small arms proliferation and the progress made in the anti-personnel landmines convention in Maputo.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
PRETORIA
5 MAY 1999