finance ministers to meet in Cape, 25-27 February 2009.
25 February 2009
The South African Foreign Minister and the Chairperson of SADC Council of
Ministers, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will chair a SADC Council of Ministers
Meeting scheduled for 26 to 27 February 2009 at International Convention Centre
in Cape Town. In attendance will be the ministers of foreign affairs, economic
planning, regional affairs, finance, and co-operation of the fifteen member
SADC Regional Economic Council.
The Council of Ministers, which convenes every six months between summits,
was preceded by the Senior Officials Meeting chaired by the Foreign Affairs
Director-General, Dr A Ntsaluba from 23 to 25 February 2009.
Issues for discussion will include, among others:
* the review of the political situation in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic
of Congo
* a discussion on the financial crisis and nature of the regional approach
thereto and the approach to the G-20 meeting on the 2nd of April
* progress in the implementation of the UNIVISA which is a project aimed at
facilitating movement between SADC countries specifically with respect to both
the Confederations Cup, African Cup of Nations in Angola and the 2010 FIFA
Soccer World Cup
* SADC collaboration with the East African Community (EAC), Common Market for
East Africa and Southern Africa (COMESA) to pursue broader objective of the
African Union to achieve economic growth, reduce poverty and attain sustainable
economic development as agreed in the Tripartite Summit in Kampala, Uganda in
2008
* organisational issues around the strengthening of the Secretariat to better
meet the challenges that the SADC region is facing.
As part of the build-up to the SADC Council of Ministers meeting the Finance
Ministers will meet later today, 25 February 2009, to consider regional
response to assist the people of Zimbabwe to ensure economic recovery in that
country.
SADC, the African Union (AU) and the SADC Facilitator on Zimbabwe, former
President Mbeki, remain the guarantors of the Global Political Agreement signed
by the three Zimbabwean political parties in September 2008.
Enquiries:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
25 February 2009
