N Dlamini Zuma: Transcript of briefing on conclusion of South
Africa–European Union Troika Ministerial meeting

16 January 2009

Remarks by Foreign Minister of Czech Republic Karel Schwarzenberg

Thank you for having the meeting in this beautiful and impressive country.
It is a great honour for the Czech Presidency and for me personally to have
this first Ministerial Troika meeting of the Czech Presidency in the framework
of regular political dialogue between the EU and South Africa in South Africa.
This is a special pleasure for me.

The EU regards South Africa as a true strategic partner and in today’s
meeting we have made important progress towards deepening our bilateral
relations in several respects. We have agreed to broaden our partnership with a
new spirit of co-operation. We have endorsed the terms of reference for
bilateral dialogue covering five new areas – immigration, space, health,
maritime transport and energy. Special emphasis on energy is in line with the
broader priorities of the Czech Presidency in the Council of the European
Union. We therefore hope that the first meeting of the energy dialogue forum
between the EU and South Africa will take place during the Czech Presidency.
Ensuring energy security is nowadays amongst the most pressing global
challenges. In these days we are witnessing in Europe as well a dependence on
gas from Russia that places Europe in an extremely vulnerable position.

The Ministers further agreed that a meeting of the EU and South Africa
political and security committee in a Troika format will be held during the
Czech Presidency. The collaboration between South Africa and the EU on peace
and security issues remains very high on our agenda. We exchanged views on
regional and global issues as well. We want to move forward the negotiations on
the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and SADC. We have
also exchanged ideas on how to deal with the interconnected issues of the
global financial crisis, food security and climate change.

Last but not least, we discussed several regional African crises – Zimbabwe
– the EU stressed deep concern regarding the human rights violations in
Zimbabwe, the spread of cholera not only in Zimbabwe but over the borders and
the tendency of Robert Mugabe to resolve through unilateral decisions. On the
current political situation in Zimbabwe, the EU is contemplating further
extension of restrictive measures. Regarding Zimbabwe the EU further discussed
the role SADC and the African Union can play in bringing about positive change
in the country. We also exchanged views on the alarming situation in the Middle
East, the conflict in Gaza, Iraq, Iran and I informed my colleague on the
situation in the Balkans.
Thank you so much.

Remarks by Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma

It is a pleasure to host this meeting of the EU Troika in South Africa and
to welcome the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs, representing the Czech
Presidency and the Deputy Minister of Sweden, representing the incoming Chair
of the EU and the well-known to you, Commissioner for Development Louis Michel.
You will be familiar with the South African delegation – Ministers of Trade and
Environmental Affairs and Tourism as well as the Deputy Ministers of Finance
and Trade and Industry.

As the Minister said, we covered a lot of ground, first we looked at our
bilateral issues, the implementation of the TDCA and all the other areas, we
looked at the expanded areas we have introduced and off course, we looked at
regional and global issues as the Minister has said and off course, the
problems in the Middle East, the Balkans, Somalia, Sudan, the Democratic
Republic of Congo. We also discussed an issue that is very close to South
Africa – the EPAs which is very urgent and we agreed that we would take this
opportunity that has opened up by the appointment of the new Trade Commissioner
Baroness Ashton and her openness to negotiations and South Africa will make the
best of that opportunity but also made it very clear that we will not be able
to sign if our concerns are not adequately addressed but we hope that they will
be adequately accommodated.

We welcomed the question of the maritime transport negotiations and terms of
reference that have been agreed upon and we hope that in the future, after our
impact assessment studies, that we can begin negotiations on the air services
agreement.

We have really had a very fruitful discussion.

Let us now take your questions and answers.

Questions and answers

Question: You mentioned your concerns about the situation in Zimbabwe –
President Motlanthe will travel there on Monday – March marks a year since
negotiations. What should the parties be doing at this stage? How many chances
do they have left? Can you please expand on the further restrictive measures on
President Mugabe’s government?

Answer: (Minister Schwarzenberg) It is true that President Motlanthe will
travel to Zimbabwe on Monday – the parties need to implement the Global
Agreement that they agreed to in September 2008 and the first step towards that
is the adoption of Amendment 19 which actually puts into law what was agreed to
in the Global Agreement. That has been gazetted. We hope that Parliament will
look at it on Tuesday when it sits in Harare and off course, situations like
these are not very easy. We cannot count chances – I do not know how many
chances we have. I don’t know how many chances we have to restart negotiations
in the Middle East, just like I don’t know how many chances we have in
Zimbabwe. But what South Africa and SADC are doing – a Summit was held last
year and the parties were advised to implement the Global Agreement and we hope
that indeed, the parties will implement the Global Agreement and only when
there is a government there will they be able to deal with the challenges that
are facing them – the challenges of the 1 trillion note, the challenges of
cholera, the challenges of the declining infrastructure, food security … you
need an inclusive government to tackle all of those challenges.

Regarding extended sanctions towards Zimbabwe – we have not yet finalised
this matter. They would be tailor-made sanctions not aimed at the population
but at the leadership. These would be very carefully selected.

Question: Minister Schwarzenberg, could you tell us if you think the unity
government agreement is still salvageable given the repeated violations of that
agreement? Do you see that you can deal with Zimbabwe with President Mugabe in
the political picture?

Answer: (Minister Schwarzenberg) I share the view of my colleague that the
Global Agreement is the only starting point that we have for the progress of
democracy and the rule of law. But off course, being a lawmaker myself and a
politician, I know that the best agreements and the best laws are totally
useless if not implemented. What we have to impress, not just in words but in
the spirit of the agreement, is that implementation counts. I think that is the
most important thing. The EU can help, assist and advise in the transition
process. We are ready to help but off course, it is basically an African
affairs which is to solved by Zimbabwe and its neighbouring states themselves.
But, having said it is an African affair, we are ready to help and assist in
any way because our own experience has shown us, especially in my country, that
true democracy and change of power is the way to achieve economic progress, the
rule of law and the rule of democracy. We have experienced this 20 years ago
and we wish the Zimbabwean people the best in that the will they have expressed
will finally be delivered.

(Louis Michel) The European Union, the European Commission and even member
states have continued to deliver humanitarian aid for all these years. We have
never stopped rendering humanitarian assistance. We are one of the largest
donors to Zimbabwe, even now. If there is a government led by President Mugabe,
I do not see any need why the European Union should not deliver on its policies
to such a government.

Question: You mentioned you discussed the global financial crisis and the
EPAs – has this financial crisis in any way affected the EPAs? Regarding Gaza,
do you believe there will be a peaceful solution soon?

Answer: (Louis Michel) Regarding the EPAs – we received a package of
concerns which are perfectly legitimate – expressed by the South African side
and we have to work with this. I will convey these concerns which seem to be
perfectly legitimate to me – it is normal that questions be raised about the
impact of the EPAs or even the interim EPAs. We understand this fully. Minister
Dlamini Zuma has said that Commissioner Ashton is very flexible and open minded
in order to tackle these concerns. We also consider that these concerns have to
be resolved. I do not really link the EPAs with the global financial
crisis.

Regarding Gaza – for the moment – you know that the only alternative remains
to call a ceasefire, to go to negotiations. For the moment, the President of
Egypt is strongly involved in trying to get the conditions in order to have
negotiations and a ceasefire. We have asked for a ceasefire, for unfettered
humanitarian access with full respect for international humanitarian law, which
is not, for the moment being respected. There is no military option – you can
only have dialogue to have an option. That is the position of the EU.

(Minister Schwarzenberg) The EU was represented at discussions by Javier
Solana – the EU has been very engaged the whole time. Very prominent European
politicians have been involved in the negotiations in the region, in Egypt and
in Israel. The EU was working diplomatically to achieve a ceasefire which now
seems very close indeed – perhaps two days away.

(Minister Dlamini Zuma) We agree with the EU that there must be an immediate
ceasefire. We are very concerned at the high number of casualties of women,
children in that conflict and we are really concerned about the humanitarian
situation as the Commissioner has said – people need water, medicine, food and
we do hope there will be a ceasefire and humanitarian aid. We are also
concerned about the use of arms on civilians.

(Minister Mpahlwa) Regarding the EPAs perhaps the important thing to
highlight is that this meeting would have helped to give further impetus
towards us finding an amicable way of resolving the concerns we have
consistently raised – that have held us back from initialling the interim EPA.
It is important to stress the fact that we have never stopped talking around
these particular concerns but we think that within this meeting we have helped
the European delegation to have a better appreciation of the issues that have
concerned us greatly around the content of the interim EPA. So, I do believe,
that this meeting will really help to grease the wheels of a process that is
ongoing. We will be meeting with Baroness Ashton who will be visiting our
region in February.

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
16 January 2009