Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aziz Pahad to host his Cuban Counterpart, Deputy Minster Abelardo Moreno, Pretoria, South Africa Sunday, 22 - Monday, 23 August 2004

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aziz Pahad will co-host, together with his Cuban counterpart, Deputy Minister Abelardo Moreno the 3rd session of the South Africa - Cuba Consultative Mechanism on Sunday, 22 - Monday, 23 August 2004 at the Diplomatic Guesthouse in Pretoria.

The annual Consultative Mechanism is an important forum for the Foreign Ministries of both South Africa and Cuba to exchange views on the bilateral relationship and to reflect on international issues and challenges facing both of them and humanity in general. It thus provides an opportunity to enhance relations and further increase multilateral co-operation between South Africa and Cuba.

Issues on the agenda of this 3rd session will include, among others:

• A follow up of discussions following the XIV NAM Ministerial meeting in Durban since Cuba will assume chairpersonship of the body in 2006;
• South-South co-operation since the second South Summit will be held in 2005 and will review progress achieved in the implementation of decisions and activities since the first Summit in 2000;
• A briefing on the situation in Latin America and the Caribbean;
• A briefing on developments in Africa, including the operationalisation of the Peace and Security Council and preparations for the inauguration of the Pan-African Parliament to be hosted by South Africa; the outcomes of the recent SADC Heads of State and Government meeting in Mauritius; the implementation of NEPAD; and efforts to create the conditions for peace, security and stability on the African continent;
• The situation in the Middle East since Deputy Minister Pahad will depart on a visit to the region on Monday, 23 August 2004; and
• Preparations for the 59th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The first meeting of this Consultative Mechanism took place on 23 April 2002 in Pretoria, prior to the 2002 Durban Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement.

The Consultative Mechanism reviewed and exchanged views on our political bilateral relations; African and Latin American subjects in general; conflicts in our respective regions; the African Union; and NEPAD.

Cuba hosted the second meeting of the Consultative Mechanism in June 2003.

Political Relations and Social Cooperation
Following South Africa's democratic transition, Cuba and South Africa established diplomatic relations on 15 May 1994 and opened resident Embassies in Pretoria (1994) and Havana (1995), respectively. Cuba is one of South Africa's most important political partners in Latin America and the Caribbean with whom we have the strongest bilateral exchanges in a variety of fields of socio-economic activity.

In March 2001, President Thabo Mbeki reciprocated the State Visit of President Castro, which took place after the 1998 Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Durban. President Mbeki also attended the Summit of the G77 & China in Havana in March 2000 and President Castro attended the 2001 UN World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) held in Durban.

Both countries are active members of the NAM and the G77 & China. Currently Cuba, Malaysia and South Africa are the NAM Troika members. 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.

One of the most significant agreements signed between South Africa and Cuba has been that establishing the Joint Bilateral Commission (JBC) during the February 2001 visit to Cuba by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. This is only the second JBC that South Africa has with a Latin American country, following the signature of a similar agreement with Brazil, in December 2000.

The JBC was established as a coordinating forum for the periodic review of bilateral cooperation projects, and the extension of cooperation to new areas. Following the success of cooperation in the sphere of health - a collaboration that involves over 250 Cuban doctors and medical professors currently working in South Africa and 310 South African medical students studying in Cuba - various ministries began pursuing projects in areas as diverse as arts and culture, sports, trade, agriculture, education, housing, and water affairs.

These have resulted in the awarding of undergraduate physical education and sports scholarships from the Cuban Government to South African students, the contracting of engineers by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, and civil engineers and architects by the Gauteng Housing Department, as well as the potential contracting of veterinary doctors, to improve service provision in rural areas.

The 1st session of the JBC held in December 2001 in Pretoria, concluded with the signature of a bilateral Agreement on Cooperation in Water Resource Management, Water Supply and Sanitation. The 2nd Session of the JBC at officials' level took place in Havana from 13 to 15 November 2002. South Africa successfully hosted the 3rd Session of the JBC in December 2003 in Pretoria.

At the third Session of the Joint Bilateral Commission, held in Pretoria in December 2003 satisfaction was expressed by both delegations that cooperation between South Africa and Cuba is being solidified. The Committee also agreed on a programme of Economic, Scientific, Technical, and Business Cooperation for 2004/2005 in the following sectors:

I Trade, Investment and Finance
II Minerals and Energy
III Communications
IV Housing
V Water Affairs
VI Health
VII Education
VIII Sport and Recreation
IX Agriculture
X Arts and Culture
XI Science and Technology
XII Justice
XIII Labour
XIV Transport
XV Scholarships

Signed Bilateral Agreements

• Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments - December 1995
• Declaration of Intent on Cooperation in Health - October 1996
• Trade Agreement - April 1997
• Sisterhood Agreement between Gauteng and the City of Havana Province
• Declaration of Intent for Cooperation in the Field of Labour - February 2000
• Declaration of Intent on Cooperation between the Foreign Ministries - March 2000
• Joint Commission Agreement - February 2001
• Air Services Agreement - March 2001
• Arts and Culture Agreement - March 2001
• Science and Technology Agreement - March 2001
• Sports Agreement - March 2001
• Merchant Shipping Agreement - March 2001
• Agreement of Cooperation in the Field of Water Resources - December 2001
• Cooperation Agreement in the Field of Education - November 2002
• General Cooperation Agreement in the Fields of Agriculture; and in Plant and Animal Health - 2002
• Cooperation Agreement in the Fields of Mining and Energy
• Cooperation Agreement on Information and Communication Technologies
• Twinning Agreement between the Provinces of Northern Cape and Havana
• Twinning Agreement between the Provinces of Limpopo and Holguin

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853.

Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
21 August 2004