meeting, Presidential Guesthouse, Union Buildings
10 October 2007
Remarks by Minister Dlamini Zuma
Well, first of all welcome to you all
We are very pleased that we have had this meeting of the EU Troika and South
Africa under our new Strategic Partnership Dialogue which we call the
Mokubakuba Dialogue which is the Yellowwood Tree in English and this
partnership is very important because the strategic partnership is opening up
new areas of engagement in addition to what we have had in the Trade,
Development and Co-operation Agreement (TDCA).
At this meeting we were reviewing the TDCA. Some of you will remember that
there was a provision that we would review the operation of the TDCA after five
years. That process has taken place and completed. And the review report was
given to us this afternoon and of course, the report outlined work in a number
of areas, viz. trade, development, science and technology and it also looked at
areas that we are going to be establishing co-operation on customs, peace and
security, transport, human rights and we also had a discussion that focused on
a number of critical areas like the strategy for EU and Africa and of course,
the famous forthcoming EU-Africa Summit. We had very good exchanges on
that.
We also discussed the question of the European Union-Southern African
Development Community Economic Partnership Agreements (EU-SADC EPA)
negotiations. We exchanged views on that including the World Trade Organisation
(WTO) Doha round. I am not providing many details because the principals will
provide the details later. We also discussed the question of climate change
this is a very important global issue and within the context of the forthcoming
Bali meeting. There has been a lot of work done, there has been a dialogue
between the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and the European
Union earlier this month.
We also discussed issues around energy in its entirety viz. energy
generation, energy efficiency, diversification, transfer of technology and
other areas of co-operation including areas of looking at early warning
mechanisms to avoid disasters in mining and so on. It has been a very wide
ranging series of discussions.
We also had the opportunity to share ideas on the reformation of the Bretton
Woods Institutions. We are really very happy to have hosted this meeting
because we have always met in Brussels and this is the first opportunity we
have had to share some African hospitality with our colleagues. We thank our
African colleagues for accepting our invitation and coming to visit us in South
Africa.
Minister Amado
Thank you Minister Dlamini Zuma
Just to briefly complement what was said by Minister Dlamini Zuma and to
also express our happiness that is shared also by the EU Commissioner Louis
Michel to be with you here in South Africa today for the first time. I would
like to stress the importance we have attached to this morning considering that
South Africa has become a very important and relevant partner to the European
Union. Analysing the discussions we have had today we consider the value we
added to our external relations implementing a strong partnership with South
Africa.
I believe we need to upgrade this relationship in the future. South Africa
has an important role and is playing an important role in a new and quite
dynamic international system, multi-polar with more demanding multilateral
approach and having the European Union Strategic High Level Partnership today
with the United States, Russia, China, Brazil, India, I believe that in Africa
we need to have a special interlocutor around South Africa certainly
considering the values, principles, the way we identify our co-operation.
I believe that we really need to strengthen this partnership. We have the
possibility to review the way in which this partnership is evolving. In the end
we assume the strengthening of our dialogue will go towards exchanging views of
European and Africa issues. But also, those issues which are today at the core
of the global agenda demanding a more inter dependent and articulated action by
all global players. I believe that this dialogue with South Africa can be
reinforced in the future. I hope this dialogue will have continuity at a high
level. So thank you once again. I am very happy to today have the opportunity
to listen to some of your colleagues in government. The richness of this
meeting was also determined by the participation of some of your government
colleagues.
Commission Louis Michel
It is of course very important to highlight that this is the first, as
Minister Dlamini Zuma has already pointed out, time we are meeting in South
Africa. This underlines the European Union's desire to strengthen our relations
and co-operation with South Africa as a Strategic Partner. In a certain sense
it indicates we want to change the nature of the relationship to becoming
really a true partnership, relationship between political partners. Today
already, in our interactions, we felt that the nature was different, more frank
and open. And we have tackled many global challenges which we have to both
deals with. This is very important.
Also, if you permit me Madame, a few words on the Country Strategic Paper:
we have signed a new seven-year development co-operation programme between
South Africa and the European Community. To be honest, this new programme is
not business as usual. For the first time, it is a seven-year programme with
the full span of the European Community's financial perspective for the years
2007-2013. This demonstrates that the European Community's commitment to South
Africa at a time when several donors are questioning the need to continue
co-operation with middle-income countries such as yours.
The framework for this co-operation has been set in a joint programme, not
only in the sense it has been jointly agreed to between South Africa and the
EC. This has always been the case. But also, 11 EU member states have joined us
in drafting a common country strategic paper. Europe, i.e. to say the community
and its 27 member states, contribute nearly 27% of its Official Development
Assistance (ODA) to South Africa. The three folds of ODA are based on a single
common strategy.
The indicative programme which we have signed today sets aside an indicative
amount of â¬980 million for the seven year period. This is approximately R10
billion. Furthermore, this programme is complemented by an additional â¬900
million in loans that will be provided, over the same period, by the European
Investment Bank.
Thank you
Questions and answers
Question: Minister Dlamini Zuma, Ambassador Sooklal said that if other EU
leaders joined Gordon Brown in boycotting the Summit, the other African leaders
will not attend what he called a "watered down" Summit. At which point would
Africa decide it was not worthwhile to attend this Summit?
Answer: Well, we did not do that calculation but nevertheless, we are
optimists, so we approach this matter from that perspective of optimism. We are
quite confident that a critical number of European leaders and a critical
number of African leaders will attend the Summit. Therefore the Summit will be,
in our view, a good Summit.
We understand that it is very rare, at least in Africa, I don't remember in
the nine-years in which I have held this portfolio, of a Summit being attended
by every Head of State. There are always some countries represented at other
levels. So if that happens in Lisbon, it will be nothing unusual. Even the
Millennium Summit in New York in 2000, which was attended by a huge number of
Heads of State and Government, was not attended by all heads of State and
Government.
So I think, we should not take one person who has said they might not attend
this Summit and then infer that this one person will make this Summit
successful. Summits depend on a number of people being there and not just one
person. So, of course, we would have wanted Prime Minister Gordon and
other European Heads of State and Government to attend the Summit but if there
are a few of them who cannot attend, as there will be some African Heads of
State and Government who cannot attend. We are very optimistic that this Summit
will go ahead and that there will be sufficient representation to ensure it
will be worthwhile.
Question: Minister Amado, what would be the breaker for you, as the host of
the Summit? Is it conceivable that the Summit will not take place?
Answer: (Minister Amado) I cannot take on board the Gordon Brown position
and boycott the Summit. The Gordon Brown position has been around for a long
time. As you know, this is on the agenda of the European Union for a long time.
As you know, we have two European Union Commissions that will look at the
strategic relationship between the African Union and the European Union,
approved by all Heads of State and Government, at the Lisbon Summit.
We only have the public statements of Prime Minister Brown in a way that he
has expressed this point. If you remember the article he wrote expressing the
importance of this Summit, the Strategic Importance of the engagement between
Africa and Europe within a developmental paradigm. It mentions that if
President Mugabe attends the Summit he would not attend it.
As you, Minister Dlamini Zuma has just said, we cannot envisage a Summit
with 80 Heads of State and Government. We also remember that the British
government was not represented at the 2000 Cairo Summit either. If you ask me
if I would like to see Prime Minister Brown attend the Summit, then certainly,
I would because it is a very important Summit as he himself as recognised.
We have for the first time a very substantial agenda clarifying the way in
which we want to interact with Africa in future. We have a plan of action
clearly identifying areas of co-operation and partnership. So we are
approaching the Summit with optimism. We would like to have a different
strategic, or at least a different atmosphere, in which to deal with the
preparations for the Summit.
Reality is what we know and just to finalise, I would like to stress this
point: we are on the eve of a new multi-polar world and we are trying to
dynamise, this is also a strategic objective of the European Union,
multilateralism all over the world and for the first time we have the
possibility of a united summit between the European Union and Africa.
The African Union has been in existence for five years; the European Union
has been in existence for 15 years but we pursue the same goals and challenges
to promote peace, stability, economic and social development in our continents
and we believe the European Union has this responsibility to diffuse , to
promote political and economic integration in the regions of the world, so we
need to place this summit at the multilateral level of relations between the
African Union and the European Union. And to deal with problems we may have
with Zimbabwe and other countries or regions in the world, we need to deal with
bilaterally. That is the reason we have a common position in dealing with
Zimbabwe for such a long time.
As Minister Dlamini Zuma stressed, to paralyse the relations between our
both continents, because today you have problem with Zimbabwe, it would be a
huge strategic mistake. This is our point and this is why we are trying to deal
bilateral with challenges and conflicts we have with countries with a view to
developing a strong multilateral perspective between the European Union and
Africa.
(Minister Dlamini Zuma) Just to say, we are very grateful and happy with the
manner in which the Presidency of the European Union is dealing with this
matter together with the Commission and other member states.
And maybe, just for the record, Prime Minister Blair did not attend the 2000
Cairo Summit either. And Prime Minister Gordon Brown did not attend the 62nd
session o f the United Nations General Assembly either. So, I think we should
look at this matter very positively and put it into perspective.
Question: Commissioner Michel, on the matter of Darfur, do you think that
the violence that is currently taking place is sponsored by the government and
is an attempt to derail the meetings scheduled to take place in Libya at the
end of the month? On the DRC, do you see the instability in eastern Congo as a
failure of President Kabila?
Answer: (Commissioner Michel) About Darfur first: We are waiting for a quick
settlement of the matter of the deployment of the hybrid force. We will give
the hybrid force a chance to bring stability. It is important to have security
for the people. At the same time, it is important for the government of Sudan
to implement peaceful solutions. Everybody has to take responsibility in Sudan
and Darfur.
As you know, Darfur is a great concern of the European Union. We have
contributed a lot to the humanitarian situation. We have further means
diplomatically to look at implementing the hybrid force. The European Union
played a role in convincing President Bashir to accept the hybrid force. We
have to continue to put pressure on the government of Sudan and indeed on all
sides not just the government. This is very important.
About the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) if you ask me if the military
option is a good option that will resolve the problems posed by General Nkunda,
I will say NO, I don't believe in the military option in order to resolve the
challenges in the eastern Congo. We have to resolve the problem by dealing the
root of the problem. Everybody knows this. There is frustration amongst some
groups of the population. What is the problem? The problem is that General
Nkunda becomes, in a certain sense, an icon to the people to feel this
frustration.
The only solution is to have a political solution and to build on improving
the security in the eastern Congo. There is no other solution. I repeat
President Kabila has the legitimacy of being elected freely and democratically.
Another point is that we also have to give time to the leadership of the Congo
to resolve these challenges. We want immediate solutions but this is a very
difficult situation. The Congo is a very difficult country to lead. There is a
lack of capacity of the State. Institutions have to be rebuilt. We have to help
them achieve this. I know the people are very impatient but you cannot deliver
as quickly as the people want. There are many challenges: eastern Congo, lack
of State capacity we have to help the Congo in order to find solutions.
Is the military option the correct one? In my opinion, it is NOT. I think
that the only concrete solution is a diplomatic one.
(Minister Dlamini Zuma) Just to stress that President Kabila was only
elected only a year ago after along period of problems in the DRC and I think
he needs to be given time to try and sort out the challenges in his country. It
does not mean that if there is an election today, all the problems of yesterday
disappear. Time is required to sort these things out.
We should also remember that in this country, there were lots of problems
that persisted after the elections. Some of your would remember that in 1995 on
25 December, there was a massacre in (inaudible) precisely because the problems
to not merely disappear on the day of the elections. Time is required. We can
now see a big difference in South Africa between 1994 and now. So, I think the
President should be assisted. He had inherited a lot of problems.
Question: Commissioner Michel and Minister Mpahlwa, are you able to share
with us discussions around the Doha Trade Talks? Commissioner Michel, are we
likely to see movement on these talks before the Lisbon Summit?
Answer: (Commissioner Michel) First of all, about Doha: I think that it would
be very important and useful to conclude these talks and to have an agreement
because in fact the world economy and the world policy needs movement
especially with regard to the developing countries. So I think, at the moment,
the economies are submitted to risks from the financial markets.
Doha is of course, a guarantee, against this risk in the financial markets
and protectionism. I think that if all the big actors are conscious that it is
their duty and that a solution is possible then we can get an agreement and we
can succeed. So it is simple. We are not far off from a solution, provided
everybody can be flexible. We can emerge from the problem. I am very optimistic
about this.
I am not sure you will have immediate progress. I cannot answer that
question. For the moment it seems that progress is possible. The Summit is
really a very important challenge as it can change the nature of the
relationship between Africa and the European Union and it can change the
influence of both continents in the world system. This is really very
important. I am not in charge of the Doha Round and I am not in charge of these
negotiations. I am speaking on behalf of my colleague Peter Mandelsohn.
(Minister Mpahlwa) Perhaps the first point to make is that this meeting that
we have just concluded was not a negotiating session. It was really a bilateral
engagement between two strategic partners. And therefore it was an opportunity
for us to share perspectives. I would like to approach this question from this
angle.
I think this became an opportunity for us, and I think we agree on this, the
process thus far has produced quite a lot that is on the table right now. This
will be important for the global trading system. That is in the interests of
us, particularly as developing countries, to build on what is on the table to
finding a solution. Of course it also became an opportunity for us to share our
views on the agricultural stance that provides a basis for keeping the
negotiations and track and the momentum going.
We think, in our view, that the agricultural position sufficiently
accommodates the position of the United States and the European Union and the
particular concern that was raised. So indeed, we expressed the view ourselves
that we do see the text as a basis for further engagement. We have not
positioned ourselves to reject the text. There are some sharp issues that must
be addressed if we are to move the process forward and I think we must ensure
there are sufficient flexibilities to ensure that the agricultural text can
accommodate the interest of the developing countries and the EU.
This was the spirit in which the discussions were held. While not
negotiating we took the opportunity to raise the issues that were off
importance to us. The EU was able to say that they think there is a possibility
to reach an agreement by the end of the year but in order to achieve this
result from our perspective, these are the things we need to attend to, viz.
how do we respond to some of the concerns that have been there on the part of
the Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland (BLNS) countries in the period
that the TDCA has been under implementation and how do we accommodate those
issues as we now try to harmonise the TDCA through the review and the SADC-EPA
negotiations must be conducted in a way that harmonises the relationship of the
EU with our region while helping us to deepen regional integration. We also
have to develop an approach to dealing with the issue of services if we are to
achieve this outcome by December this year. This was the spirit in which the
discussions were held. Broadly, our discussions will guide our negotiations to
focus on the matters we highlighted.
Question: Minister Manuel, what amount of money that was announced today
would go towards budgetary support? Can you tell us what percentage of our
budget would this be and what projects would this be allocated to?
Answer: South Africa is far less dependent, than most other developing
countries, on official development assistance. I think that the key issues for
us are in deepening a partnership. And a fair amount of the resources will be
mobilised by local and provincial government in support of programmes of
poverty relief. This is a strong focus of the EU.
We are looking at issues of human resource development; the key to lifting
people out of poverty is to develop skills. We spent a long time discussing the
distribution of educated personnel and how we can improve on the maths and
science literacy of educators and therefore of learners and consequently of the
education system. So there are a fair amount of issues that will be dealt with
in line function as we proceed but the total ODA as a percentage of budget is
less than one percent, I think it is 0,84%
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
10 October 2007
