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South Africa and Cuba Celebrate 10 Years
of Diplomatic Relations
The establishment of diplomatic relations between the
Republic of South Africa and the Republic of Cuba on
11 May 1994, will be celebrated jointly by the two countries,
highlighting several achievements during a fruitful
period of growing relations. Following South Africa's
democratic transition, Cuba and South Africa established
diplomatic relations and opened resident Embassies in
Pretoria (1994) and Havana (1995), respectively.
In May 1994, President Fidel Castro attended the inauguration
of South Africa's first-ever democratically elected
President Nelson R Mandela. The Cuban President also
paid an official visit to South Africa in 1998, where
he previously attended the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
Summit in Durban, followed three years later by his
attendance of the 2001 UN World Conference Against Racism
(WCAR).
In March 2001, President TM Mbeki reciprocated and
paid a State Visit to Cuba. President Mbeki also attended
the South Summit in Havana in March 2001. People-to-people
contact was further enhanced by numerous high-level
visits to and from both countries during the past decade.
South Africa and Cuba are active members of the Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM) and the G77 & China. The broad coincidence
of interests in relation to addressing the Agenda of
the South ensures a healthy level of complementarity
in the work carried out by the respective delegations
in multilateral fora.
The Governments of South Africa and Cuba have a long-standing
cooperation, which ranges from the political to the
economic fields. One of the most significant agreements
signed has been that establishing the Joint Bilateral
Commission (JBC). Following the success of cooperation
in the sphere of health - a collaboration that involves
Cuban doctors and medical professors working in South
Africa and South African medical students studying in
Cuba - various national and provincial departments began
pursuing projects in diverse areas.
Other forms of cooperation have ensued with Agreements
of MoU signed in the fields of trade and investments,
housing construction, water resources, merchant shipping,
agriculture, science and technology, education, arts
and culture, sports, province's sisterhood exchange,
among the most relevant.
The broad coincidence of interests in relation to addressing
the socio-economic needs and aspirations in the struggle
to fulfil the aspirations of the South African and Cuban
peoples in an ever changing world, requires ongoing
commitments and programmes of practical implementation
in the years to come.
Furthermore, both countries, as active members of the
Non-Aligned Movement have worked together in favour
of the revitalisation of NAM and now, as members of
the Movement's Troika, are jointly addressing the most
pressing issues affecting Third World Countries, both
in the political and economic fields.
The Governments and peoples of South Africa and Cuba,
while commemorating with joy and pride a decade of cooperation
and understanding, take this opportunity to renew the
defense of the most sacred principles of sovereignty,
independence and self determination.
Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853.
Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
20 May 2004
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