of Congo (DRC) ahead of President Mbeki
17 August 2007
South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will on Saturday, 18
August 2007, depart from Lusaka, Zambia for Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of
Congo ahead of President Thabo Mbeki to prepare for the scheduled South Africa
â Democratic Republic of Congo Bi-national Commission (BNC) from Sunday to
Tuesday, 19 to 21 August 2007.
The South Africa-Democratic Republic of Congo Bi-national Commission to be
co-chaired by President Thabo Mbeki and President Joseph Kabila will be
preceded by a Ministerial meeting to be co-chaired by Minister Dlamini Zuma and
her counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi scheduled from Sunday to Monday, 19 to 20 August
2007.
South Africa's participation in the fourth session of the South
Africa-Democratic Republic of Congo Bi-national Commission comes within the
context of its commitment to consolidate relations with the DRC and to support
the political, economic reconciliation and nation building processes in the
country.
The fourth session of the South Africa - DRC Bi-national Commission, the
first meeting of the BNC since democratically held elections in 2006, is
expected to evaluate:
* the status of politics and diplomacy co-operation includes the capacity
building project, the public service census project, population and immigration
matters
* defence and security co-operation includes security sector reform
projects
* economy, finance and infrastructure co-operation includes spatial development
initiatives, mining, geology and metallurgy, energy, civil aviation, technical
assistance in financial administration and agriculture
* social and humanitarian affairs which includes co-operation in the fields of
education, and humanitarian and health projects
* evaluate how current projects support the development priorities of the DRC
and the identification of possible additional projects to this effect.
South Africa's assistance to the DRC is informed by its vision of an
'African Renaissance' of peace, stability and security and sustained renewal,
growth and socio-economic development for the African Continent. South Africa
is committed to a strategy for post conflict reconstruction and development in
the DRC that is aligned with that of the African Union and New Partnership for
Africa's Development (Nepad). South Africa's assistance to the DRC is broadly
based on three key areas as decided by Cabinet, which are: the Security Sector
Reform (SSR), institutional capacity building and economic development.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
17 August 2007
