Joint Communique on the Occasion of the South African - Democratic Republic of Congo Joint Ministerial Meeting in Pretoria, South Africa on 18 March 2004

1. The Minister of Provincial and Local Government of the Republic of South Africa, Mr F S Mufamadi, hosted on the 18th March 2004 a delegation of the Democratic Republic of Congo led by the Minister of Planning, Thambwe Mwamba for the South Africa / Democratic Republic of Congo Joint Ministerial meeting in Pretoria, South Africa. This meeting takes place within the context of the General Co-operation Agreement signed by their Excellencies Presidents T M Mbeki of the Republic of South Africa and Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo during President Mbeki's State Visit to the DRC on the 13th and 14th of January 2004, which laid the foundations for future co-operation between the two countries.

2. The Ministerial meeting on the 18th of March 2004 was preceded by working sessions of senior officials from the two countries from 15 to 17 March 2004. These working sessions addressed various areas of co-operation, ranging from political, economic and financial co-operation to social and humanitarian affairs.

3. The work of senior officials was divided into five working groups, i.e.:

· Working Group that examined Political, Defence and Security matters;
· Working Group that examined Health Matters;
· Working Group that examined the Reciprocal Protection and Promotion of investments;
· Working Group that examined the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal · Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income;
· Working Group that examined Co-operation in the field of Public Administration

4. The reports of the five working groups were adopted unanimously by the Joint Ministerial meeting. It was further noted that significant progress had been made in the various areas and that the outstanding issues were still receiving attention.

5. The Working Group that examined Political, Defence and Security matters agreed that the finalisation of the Defence Co-operation Agreement should be expedited. In the area of Security, the Working Group noted the visit by a delegation of the South African Police Service (SAPS) to the Democratic Republic of Congo from 28 February to 2 March 2004 to assess the needs in the field of training for the Congolese police force. It is envisaged by this commission that a task team of South Africa's Department of Home Affairs will visit the Democratic Republic of Congo to assess the needs in the field of immigration. In preparation for the Congolese elections in 2005, a task team of the Department of Home Affairs and the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa also intends to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo after the South African elections to assist with the organization of the elections. It was further indicated that the South African Parliament was willing to engage the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo to strengthen relations between the two institutions.

6. The two delegations in the Working group that examined Political, Defense and Security matters finalized negotiations on a Protocol for Regular Diplomatic Consultations. This Protocol was initialed and it will be subjected to the two countries' legal processes before it is signed by the relevant Ministers.

7. The Working Group that examined Health Matters finalized negotiations on the Agreement on Health Matters. This Agreement was also initialed by the Ministers.

8. The Working Group that examined the Reciprocal Protection and Promotion of Investments examined the Agreement and decided to meet again in April 2004 in the Democratic Republic of Congo to pursue outstanding issues in the agreement.

9. The Working Group that examined the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to taxes on Income finalized the text and the Heads of both delegations initialed the agreed text. The Working Group also finalized a Declaration of Intent which was signed by the relevant Ministers.

10. The Working Group that examined Co-operation in the Field of Public Administration finalized negotiations on this Memorandum of Understanding. The two relevant Ministers initialed the document during the Joint Ministerial meeting. This Protocol was initialed and it will be subjected to the two countries' legal processes before it is signed by the relevant Ministers.

11. All the initialed Protocols, Agreements and Conventions, will be subjected to the two countries' legal processes before being signed by the relevant Ministers.

12. The leader of the Congolese delegation, the Minister of Planning, Mr Alexis Thambwe Mwamba, thanked the Government and the people of South Africa for the warm hospitality extended to him and his delegation during their stay in South Africa.

Issued by Manusha Pillai

Department of Foreign Affairs

Private Bag X 152

Pretoria

0001

18 March 2004