N Dlamini Zuma and Minister J Taiana on South Africa�Argentina Joint
Binational Commission

28 February 2007

Prior to the press briefing the following agreements were signed by South
Africa and Argentina on co-operation in the following fields:

Agreement on mutual and legal assistance in criminal matters signed by both
Ministers (Minister Dlamini Zuma signed on behalf of the Minister of Justice)
agreement on an extradition treaty agreement, binational co-operation in the
field of sport and recreation signed by Minister Taiana and Minister
Stofile.

Comments by Minister Dlamini Zuma:

We are very pleased to welcome the delegation from Argentina led by Foreign
Minister Jorge Taiana and we have spent three days working very closely
together as the two delegations at this inaugural session of the South
Africa�Argentina JBC. We started on Monday opening a seminar that was looking
at human rights issues and the question of memory and we went to the exhibition
because as you know we share a lot on human rights issues considering our
similarities of the difficulties of the past, so we have a lot to share and
hopefully we have a lot to do together in future as well.

We then had discussions in the various fields looking at trade, investment,
tourism, and science and technology both in terms of science as it relates to
space activities for peaceful use and nuclear activities for peaceful use; and
also looking at industrial use of science and technology. We looked at mining;
South Africa is a big mining country, but Argentina is also developing its
mining sector. We also looked at agriculture, how to deal with our comparative
advantages in agriculture, we also wanting to learn from some of the
technologies that Argentineans are using to improve production.

We also looked at co-operation in the field of defence and of course sports
as you have seen the signing of the agreement in sports with 2010 in the air
that was a very important agreement. The other agreements were negotiated
before, so we were signing on behalf of the Minister of Justice. So, I think,
we had a whole range of discussions including looking at our parks because
Argentina is a vast country with lots of parks but South Africa has developed
quite a lot of expertise in the management of such parks and using them for
tourism and for the benefit of the population as a whole.

So I think we have actually mapped out a whole lot of work that needs to be
done between now and the next meeting. But, I will hand over to my counterpart
to just give you a bit of detail on some of the areas that we have discussed.
This was just an overview of what we have done. We also discussed political
issues, multilateral, bilateral and regional issues so we really had very
intense discussions over the past three days with a bit of entertainment in
between.

Comments by Minister Jorge Taiana:

First of all I wish to thank the government and people of South Africa for
their warm hospitality and friendship. We really feel at home and this is very,
very important. For Argentinean foreign policy and for Argentinean government
this is a very important visit because, the relations between Argentina and
South Africa is a priority for Argentinean Foreign Policy and is a priority in
the south�south relations and co-operation. We are neighbours, we just have
massive (water) ocean between us. Just a big bond separate us, we are
neighbours, we need to think about that because we at the southern tip of our
continent, we shall look to the north as our neighbours, in the continent but
we need not forget that we have neighbours in the area just on the other side.
As you know Cape Town is in a similar location as Buenos Aires, our
capital.

We came here and we worked in three or four political areas. We had
political consultations between the two countries in bilateral, regional and
multilateral issues. We had a very open agenda; as you know South Africa and
Argentina share a lot of views in the multilateral issues both in political and
economic areas and we work together in the United Nations (UN), World Trade
Organisation (WTO). We share the same principles and values. We share
multilateralism as a way to solve the problems of the international community.
We share the respect for international law, respect for international human
rights, the search for peace and stability in the world, the fight against the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the fight against terrorism,
which is in the political arena.

In the economic arena of course we are both developing countries; we share
principles and positions that try to let our countries develop fully their
possibilities. We work very closely especially in the trade and negotiations
arena.

We are great supporters of the INAMA XI Group inside the Doha Round
negotiations. We are very, very thankful of South Africa's co-ordination of
that INAM XI Group. So this was part of our political consultations between the
two ministers went.

Secondly, the Seminar on Human Rights; there has been during the previous
years a lot of contact between civil society in the area of human rights
between the two countries and now what we are doing is to put together the
support of the two governments.

We feel that human rights is part of our identity, is part of democracy and
it is part of the fight against exclusion. So we have a lot to do there also in
shared experiences and in working together in the international arena for the
better respect of human rights.

The third area was the business mission in Johannesburg and held lots of
meetings with counterparts from the South African business community. We had
about more than 40 entrepreneurs from Argentina, here; we still do not have the
final report of their meeting but at least they were very positive about the
outcomes of this meeting and seminar but what is clear is that in the economic
trade and investment areas, there is a lot of work to do and lots of
possibilities because what is clear after our discussion is that we have a
special condition. In exports in per capita expenditure, we are countries with
a lot of similarities in our levels of development. But also it is clearer that
we have a lot of possibilities of complementarities in different areas; it's
the more important outcome of this exercise. Before the meeting we thought we
had more complementarities but now we are more sure and convinced about those
complementarities.

That's about the business seminar and there were lots of possibilities on
trade and investment. There has been in the past months, lots of course; we are
very happy about the decision of South African Airways (SAA) to restart flying
the route to Buenos Aires in July. This is important because when you have more
links between countries people understand each other better and are more open
to co-operate better with each other. This will help our people understand each
other better. More links between the countries help people understand each
other better.

Fourth area was the Binational Commission; it was the first meeting of its
nature. I think it was a successful meeting. We came with an important group of
representatives from Argentina.

We came with various agencies from Argentine: space, nuclear, tourism,
defence, agriculture, sports so there are important representatives; we have
now lots of opportunities in the different areas not just one road; there is a
lot of work ahead. I think this was a really successful visit. This visit
proved the importance of south�south relations. This is not an end but a new
step an important step which will be followed up by a high level official
delegation from South Africa to Argentine in a couple of moths. I hope that
Minister Dlamini Zuma will honour the invitation to visit Argentina before the
end of the year. I hope that she can comply with this issue.

So let me say thanks again we have a great opportunity to strengthen our
relations. Why? Because the two countries have stable democracies and going
through processes of stable economic growth. Thank you to the Minister, my
friend, thank you to all the officials of South Africa thank you to the people
of South Africa for the warm hospitality they have shown.

Questions by journalists: Tshepo Ikaneng (South African Broadcasting
Corporation)

The conclusions of the two agreements on mutual/legal agreement criminal
matter; does this suggest that there are still challenges with crime, suspects
held in either South Africa or Argentina? How much of a problem are crime
syndicates for the two countries?

Answer: Minister Taiana: There are no special reasons, it's just to close
the gap in the co-operation, maybe you are right, the absence of this
convention was part of the past but because now we have agreed to co-operate
closer this will assist.

Answer: Minister Dlamini Zuma: Yes, we are not signing because we are
targeting any special people; certainly it is a framework of co-operation that
is necessary, should situations arise, this framework should be in place.

Question: JJ Cornish � Radio 702: Agreements signed today; does that fill
the gamut of the framework for proper relations in terms of trade and political
relations? Are there any big ones still outstanding? What should we look for in
the future?

Answer: Minister Dlamini Zuma: There are agreements in place but there are a
few gaps where we are sill negotiating agreements. So that we can at least have
a complete framework. But also in particular in the areas you have mentioned.
There will be other agreements that will still come, be it in science and
technology, culture so there are still agreements to be concluded�but we hope
they will be concluded soon to facilitate the work; for instance SAA will be
flying there, we will see whether it is possible to negotiate some agreement on
the avoidance of double taxation for SAA as they start flying there. There are
few agreements like that that will complete the framework.

Addition by Minister Taiana: For example, in the case of nuclear, space or
defence there are agreements to work more on the details. There are identified
areas for co-operation, some levels of detail are still needed, but they need a
special agreement same as in space. In the case of defence, the timeframe has
been set for July for an agreement in the area of science and technology; there
will be a Minister from South Africa visiting Buenos Aires. In trade and in the
area of animal health, we still have a lot of work to do between the agencies,
there is still a lot of work to do.

Question: To both Ministers again, On the Southern African Customs Union
(SACU) � Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and Chile (MERCOSUR)
trade agreements any positive outcomes from that? Are there any obstacles still
outstanding? To Minister Stofile, to kindly expand on the details of the
Agreement, what are we looking forward to?

Answer: Minister Taiana: This is a pending negotiation but is very close to
the end. In the case of MERCOSUR�SACU agreement, we are awaiting for the final
presentation of SACU list of products. We are trying to obtain some resolution
on this, because I think it's time.

Answer: Minister Dlamini Zuma: Of course when it is implemented there will
be lots of benefits�still need to tie the knots, the loose ends. Well, trade
negotiations tend to be long but I can't guarantee it.

Minister Stofile: We must not forget that Argentina is one of the top
football playing countries in the whole world. But what many people do not
realise is that it is also one of the top playing countries in rugby in the
whole world, thanks to the contribution of the South Africa Rugby Union (SARU).
We believe now the time has arrived for Argentinean to pay back in the building
of their rugby and contribute to the building of our football and other
sporting codes. They are strong in basketball, hockey, polo, things that we are
not strong on. We believe our football can also benefit from the structural
rearrangement that we should be able to learn from Argentina. One of the
nemesis of South African football is the absence of a structured development
programme of our youngsters. One of the areas of agreement is the development
of football amongst the youth and we think we should be able to have
co-operation and participation from school level, right up to the junior
national team. We are not focusing so much on the national squad; right now
they are in the purview of the national coach. We are trying to develop future
players and the catchment, so that those future players come from the catchment
areas.

Minister Taiana: Strengthening the structure of youth only on one condition
that South Africa should support the Argentinean team in 2010 and of course the
outcome of this co-operation will be that South Africa and Argentina play
together in the final showing the strength of south�south co-operation.

Minister Stofile: We are willing to support the Argentinean team and assist
the Argentinean team to qualify for 2010 because that is the first hurdle they
must still overcome, which we have overcome.

Mr Ronnie Mamoepa, the Programme Director, for the press briefing thanked
Minister Dlamini Zuma, Minister Taiana and Minister Stofile for their
contributions.

For more information contact:
Nomfanelo Kota
Cell: 082 459 3787
E-mail: kotan@foreign.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
28 February 2007