the media briefing between South Africa and Portugal
13 April 2007
Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, South African Minister of Foreign Affairs:
I am very pleased to welcome Dr Amado. Firstly, we discussed our bilateral
relations which are very good. We have agreed that we need to keep
strengthening our relations by looking at more business co-operation; cultural
and people to people co-operation between the two countries and so will
continue doing that.
We also looked at some of the issues on the African continent. As you know,
Portugal will take the Presidency of the European Union (EU) as from July 2007,
so we are looking forward to working closely with them, they are already in the
Troika so, on Monday, 14 May 2007, we will be meeting in that context of South
Africa and the EU Troika and some time during their Presidency, we will also be
meeting.
We are looking forward to the Summit between the African Union (AU) and the
EU in December 2007 and I will allow Minister to give the perspective on that.
We are looking forward to having that because our two continents are neighbours
to start with and we have a historic obligation to work together as
neighbouring continents. So that Summit will also assist in working out a
roadmap on our future co-operation.
We also looked at global issues like some of the issues that are in the
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) like Kosovo etc and I will now hand over
to Minister Amado to give you a bit more on what I have introduced.
Thank you.
Dr Amado:
Good morning all of you!
I just want to thank Minister Zuma for her invitation to visit South Africa.
As Minister Dlamini Zuma said, we have a responsibility to take over the
Presidency of the European Union from Sunday, 1 July 2007.
We are now in the Troika, so we need to pay attention to what is happening
in the world, particularly also in Africa and in this region. South Africa is
becoming an important player in the international system and is now a member of
the UN Security Council so it is important for us to be in touch with the South
African government.
Our bilateral relations as was said by Minister Zuma are very good; we have
the perspective that the intense political dialogue we are developing now will
also benefit the development of our economic, social and cultural relations in
future. The relationship between EU and African countries and in particular
South Africa, the role SA can play in promoting peace and development on the
African continent is very crucial.
We assume that the EU has a strong responsibility in development and African
relationships on the African continent and that is why we have been discussing
the conditions for the summit and were discussing the agenda for this
summit.
It will be a second summit on the high level, where the EU and AU member
states will be discussing important points on the Agenda of this summit. We are
working together (AU + EU) in the preparation of the Joint Strategy which will
identify and co-ordinate our partnership.
We are working on mechanisms and economic programmes which we can foresee to
sustain an important strategic partnership, between the EU and the AU, two
continents, as the Minister said with strong historic ties, strong relations,
historical, cultural and linguistic ties. We will be working closely in
assisting to resolve some of the problems that we face.
We need to mobilise all efforts of the international community to tackle
international problems especially some of the main conflicts that are now
becoming so problematic in Africa, SA has an important role now to play as it
is also a member of the UNSC and as a member of the African Union. It is
important for us to develop this dialogue and intensify the exchange of views,
with Minister Zuma and with the South African government. I want to thank you
again and your delegation for the exchange of views and thank the Minister and
your delegation for the hospitality accorded to us.
Questions
South African Press Association: Were there any agreements signed today?
Minister Dlamini Zuma: No, this meeting was a meeting really to exchange
views and synchronise our perspectives.
Mozambique News Agency: The main obstacle to convening the AU � EU Summit
has been Zimbabwe? Is there any change in the position either from Europe or
Africa?
Minister Dlamini Zuma: Let me clarify the African Position. The AU cannot be
dismembered. The AU is the African Union it cannot be dismembered. The AU is
known, the continent is known and you can't say you want the AU but not quite
the AU. If Europe is meeting us at that level, it cannot dismember us. It's not
about insisting that, one attends, that the other does not. We want to
co-operate with the EU as it is known. We can't say we want to co-operate with
the EU, but not quite with Portugal. That will not be the EU, it will be
something else. We are not insisting on something that should not be there. The
EU is the EU and Africa is Africa.
Dr Luis Amado (addition to Minister Zuma): The issue of sanctions is one
issue; the issue of the summit is one other issue. These are different things.
We need to structure for the future a strategic partnership with the African
Union to promote the interest of both continents. We should not compound
strategic partnerships because there is a problem with different countries;
this is not compatible with what we have at stake.
Minister Dlamini Zuma: The relationship between Africa and the EU is very
important and therefore we have to work on that which is paramount, it cannot
be reduced to differences with one country.
John Kaninda: Business Day: There were reports in the Belgian Press that
Democratic Republic of Congo and Portugal had struck a deal about Jean Pierre
Bemba going to Portugal. Was there first a deal struck between the two
countries, were there any conditions attached to the sojourn of Bemba to
Portugal, for him not being involved in political activities in Portugal?
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) asked a similar question as
the Business Day
Dr Amado: I have been speaking in the past few days with other states
involved in this process for Bemba to come to Portugal; of course he came for
medical reasons, to Portugal and agreed himself not to be engaged in political
activities whilst in Portugal, but we did speak with Congolese and South
African authorities and some states interested in the stability in Congo and
the intervention was made by the United Nations Mission in Kinshasa.
Dr Dlamini Zuma: (in addition) we have no problems with anyone going for
medical treatment to any country. He has gone to Portugal for medical reasons
and we have no objections to that.
Dr Amado: Initially Jean Pierre Bemba had been operated in Portugal, so he
wanted to go back there for his medical treatment.
I thank you!
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
13 April 2007
