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Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Aziz Pahad concludes Discussions with Jordanian Minister
of Foreign Affairs. Amman, Jordan, 30 August 2004
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aziz Pahad, accompanied
by the Director-General of Foreign Affairs, Dr Ayanda
Ntsaluba, today - Monday, 30 August 2004 - concluded
bilateral economic and political discussions with the
Jordanian Foreign Minister, Dr Marwan Muasher and a
senior Jordanian delegation in Amman, Jordan.
Discussions between Deputy Minister Pahad and Foreign
Minister Muasher focused on the efforts by both countries
to deal with three major challenges
· Poverty and under-development
· Peace and security, and terrorism
· Restructuring of the global exercise of power.
In this regard, Deputy Minister Pahad and Foreign Minister
Muasher discussed the outcomes of the Non-Aligned Movement
Ministerial Meeting (NAM) in Durban and its role in
helping to create the conditions for developing countries
to deal with the challenges of poverty and underdevelopment.
NAM is therefore more relevant now than it was 40 years
ago in helping to give greater content to South-South
co-operation in order to make the new development agenda
of the South a reality.
Deputy Minister Pahad also briefed Minister Muasher
regarding the Africa-Asia co-operation (AASROC) meeting
hosted by South Africa. Deputy Minister Pahad said it
is hoped that relations between Africa and the Middle
East can be elevated to such a level to give both government
and the private sector the framework within which to
increase political and economic co-operation.
In addition, Minister Muasher briefed Deputy Minister
Pahad on political and economic developments within
the Arab League and its attempts to deal with its challenges.
Deputy Minister Pahad also briefed the Jordanian delegation
of efforts to create the conditions for peace, security
and stability on the African continent within the parameters
of the African Union and its institutions - the Peace
and Security Council, the Pan-African Parliament, ECOSOC,
the African Standby Force and the Panel of the Wise.
Minister Muasher then briefed Deputy Minister Pahad
on the Jordanian position regarding the crises in the
Middle East and Iraq.
Regarding the situation between Palestine and Israel,
both sides reiterated that the two state-solution based
on the creation of a Palestinian and Israeli state existing
side by side within secure borders remains the only
viable alternative to the current crises. Both delegations
also reiterated that both sides must return to unconditional
negotiations in order to restore peace, security and
stability to the people of Israel and Palestine.
Deputy Minister Pahad briefed Minister Muasher that
South Africa will next week, for the first time, host
a delegation from Likud in an attempt to share the South
African experience regarding conflict resolution.
Regarding Iraq, both sides reiterated the call for
free and fair elections to be held in January 2005 with
the people of Iraq electing their leadership and full
political and economic sovereignty to be restored to
the people of Iraq.
Earlier in the day, the South African delegation met
with representatives of the United Nations Assistance
Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and were briefed regarding
the current situation in Iraq and attempts by the United
Nations to assist in the alleviation of the humanitarian
crisis in Iraq.
On arrival in Jordan on Sunday, 29 August 2004, Deputy
Minister Pahad, in line with the mandate from the African
Union that Africans in the Diaspora be mobilised, met
with a group of South Africans currently working and
studying in Amman. Deputy Minister Pahad encouraged
that although they live away from South Africa they
should continue to be Ambassadors for South Africa,
cultivating a new patriotism and promoting the image
of South Africa from wherever they are.
Deputy Minister Pahad and his delegation will depart
from Amman on Tuesday, 31 August 2004 for Cairo, Egypt
on the final leg of this visit to the Middle East.
Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853
Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
30 August 2004
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