Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
5 July 2001
The Portuguese Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mr. Luis Amado, will be visiting South Africa from 4-6 July 2001 at the invitation of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Aziz Pahad. Mr. Pahad will hold bilateral discussions with Mr. Amado on 6 July 2001 at the Diplomatic Guest House in Pretoria. Topping the agenda will be the current status of political and economic relations, including development co-operation between our two countries.
Mr Luis Amado visited South Africa in September 1999 to inaugurate the extensions and technical improvements to the Matsulo Water Treatment Centre in Matsulo, Mpumalanga, on the South African border with Mozambique. The Matsulu dam project is the most important development project undertaken by the Portuguese government in South Africa and is valued at US$ 1 million. During this visit, Mr Amado also met with Deputy Minister Pahad and their discussions focussed on the current developments in the Southern African region as well as on the East Timor situation. Deputy Minister Pahad received an invitation from Mr Amado to visit Portugal which he did in June 2000, to participate in the symposium on "Perspectives on the Europe-Africa Relationship."
South Africa and Portugal have always maintained good bilateral relations. The strong cultural and historical ties are underscored by the highly valued presence of the 300 000-strong Portuguese community in South Africa. The community plays a positive and constructive role in the socio-economic development of South Africa's economy and its people. Bilateral trade between the two countries in 2000 amounted to R 1, 015 billion with exports to Portugal R623 million and imports totalling R 392 million.
In addition to concentrating on bilateral issues, African regional issues will also feature prominently on the agenda and the following matters will be highlighted: Millennium Africa Recovery Plan (MAP) and the preparation for the OAU Summit in July 2001; SADC; and current developments in the DRC, Angola, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Portugal remains an active player in all its former colonies, and is a prime source of development aid and investment in these countries. Accordingly, Angola has a special relationship with Portugal. Apart from cultural ties, Portugal has substantial commercial interests in Angola. Portugal is also one of the three nations with a specific role in the Angolan peace process, together with the USA and the Russian Federation.
Deputy Minister Pahad will engage his counterpart on the role that Portugal and South Africa could play to bring an end to decades of civil war in Angola and will seek to engage Portugal more regularly in bilateral political dialogue on sensitive issues where Portuguese brokership could be sought.
Mozambique will also feature prominently in the discussions. South Africa has overtaken Portugal as Mozambique's chief trading and investment partner. Portugal has in addition indicated that it follows in principle the policy of "triangular co-operation" in relation to investment and development aid to the PALOPS (Portuguese Speaking African) countries. The Maputo Corridor and the planned Beira and Nacala corridor development projects present ideal opportunities to engage further with Portugal in promoting "triangular co-operation" between South Africa, Mozambique and Portugal.
In addition to Angola and Mozambique, Deputy Minister Pahad will make use of the opportunity to brief Minister Amado on South Africa's perspectives regarding the latest developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zimbabwe. The East Timor issue will also be discussed and Mr Amado will provide Deputy Minister Pahad with the Portuguese perspective.
After suggesting the concept of an EU/Africa Summit to its EU partners in 1996, Portugal fought tenaciously to bring the idea to fruition during its presidency of the EU in the first semester of 2000. The Africa-Euro Summit accordingly took place in Cairo in April 2000 under the aegis of the OAU and the EU. The Portuguese Presidency was also responsible for the production of the Draft of the Cairo declaration and resulting Plan of Action. The next Summit will be held in Lisbon.
The Cairo Plan of Action represents a new partnership between Africa and Europe, which will serve as the basis for future co-operation between Africa and Europe. This is of particular importance as Africa is busy with the creation of the structures which will implement the African Union. The Plan of Action includes economic, social and political aspects. A first meeting took place on 17 November 2000, in Brussels at which eight priority issues were identified. These issues were Debt Relief, the Return of Cultural Goods, Regional Co-operation and Integration into the Global Economy, Conflict Prevention, including Anti-Personnel Mines, Human Rights, HIV/AIDS and other Pandemics, Food Security, and the Environment.
The two ministers will also review issues such as the ratification of the SA/EU Free Trade, Development and Co-operation Agreement with the European Union and the status of the Wine and Spirits Agreement, which is still to be finalised. Mr Amado will also brief Deputy Minister Pahad regarding EU reforms and enlargement initiatives.
The meeting will serve as a valuable opportunity to further deepen the existing good bilateral relations between Portugal and South Africa and our co-operation on matters of mutual concern.
For more information contact Besetsana Thokoane
Cell no. 083 443 7740