Your Excellency President Banda
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
High Commissioners, senior officials,
Members of the media,
We have just concluded the official talks with the Zambian delegation led by His Excellency President Banda. We have extended our gratitude on the wonderful hospitality we have received since our arrival.
We strongly underlined the deep historical ties between the two countries.
For decades, Zambia hosted liberation movements from Southern African countries, sharing her meagre resources with them until they all gained their independence.
The long-standing Zambian support for the liberation struggle in South Africa led to the growth of deep mutual bonds between the peoples of South Africa and Zambia.
We now seek to further deepen and enhance these cordial and warm relations.
We met as the world faces the impact of the global economic recession. While South Africa is slowly emerging out of the recession, the impact in terms of job losses is still being felt. Zambia has experienced the same difficulties in some sectors. Like all nations of the world we seek to cooperate to minimise the impact of the recession our people, most of whom are extremely poor and marginalised, whose situation has been worsened by the recession.
To take our economic relations forward, we want to focus on the areas of Energy and Petroleum, Information communications technologies, infrastructure development, financial services, healthcare, mining as well as agro-processing. We are generally happy with the direction that our trade relations are taking.
In 2008 Zambia became our number one trading partner on the continent. With regards to agriculture, we congratulate Zambia on the growth of this sector, which has shown great improvements despite heavy rains in 2008. This country managed to record a food surplus in the past three years thanks to the government's seed and fertiliser programme.
The two countries could also complement each other's efforts more, particularly in regional conflict resolution. We acknowledge Zambia's role in conflict management and resolution in the continent. This country is host to several refugees from Angola, Burundi, the DRC and Zimbabwe.
We have had successful talks and there is scope for ongoing discussions and further enhancement of relations in all areas – economic, social, political and international relations.
I thank you.
Enquiries:
Vincent Magwenya
Cell: 072 715 0024
Issued by: The Presidency
8 December 2009
Source: The Presidency (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za)
