STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS 2004
SA's role in Africa to continue
Matome Sebelebele
21 May 2004
South Africa will continue playing a prominent role in Africa's affairs, as well as pushing for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the Middle East, says President Thabo Mbeki.
Addressing Parliament in Cape Town on Friday, Mbeki said South Africa would dedicate its energies to strengthening relations with African countries and responding to the African Union's mandate, including the opening of its financial and social books for peer review.
"We will continue to make our contribution to the implementation of Nepad's (Africa's economic recovery plan's) programmes, and, as requested by the AU, also continue to host the Nepad Secretariat", Mbeki said.
"We will ensure that we contribute to the effective functioning of the African Union's Peace and Security Council, to which we have been elected", Mbeki added.
He said South Africa would continue to help Burundi, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo with their post-conflict
reconstruction.
South Africa would also cement its bilateral agreements with Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, the DRC, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Namibia and Lesotho.
"We will continue to work with our sister countries, Zimbabwe and Swaziland, so that the citizens of these countries can also enjoy peace, stability and sustainable development", Mbeki told Parliament.
He added that relations between the country and the Southern African Development Community, the G8, the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), as well as partnerships between India, Brazil and South Africa would feature prominently on Pretoria's multilateral agenda.
On the Palestine-Israel conflict, Mbeki said: "We will continue to follow the evolution of the situation in the Middle East, necessarily focusing on the Israel-Palestine and Iraq conflicts, contributing what we can to their solution, including support for the vigorous implementation of the Road
Map."
Source: BuaNews
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