Joint Communiqué by the Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Africa and the Russian Federation, Mr Aziz Pahad and Mr. Anatoly Y. Safonov on the results of the South African - Russian Political Consultations on Combating International Terrorism held in Pretoria on 29 January 2004

The first South African - Russian inter-ministerial political consultations on combating international terrorism were held in Pretoria on January 29, 2004. The substantial exchange of views took place on a wide range of global and regional issues of combating international terrorism. Both the South African and Russian sides agreed that international terrorism poses an immediate threat to all states without exception, which demands the continuation of consolidated efforts of the international coalition against terrorism. They also underlined that it is important to focus on the root causes of terrorism and to develop strategies to deal comprehensively with international terrorism.

The Deputy Ministers further emphasized the central co-ordinating role of the UN, and the primacy of the Security Council in international efforts to combat terrorism. In the course of the consultations, special attention was paid to the activities of the UN Security Council Committee on Counter Terrorism and the UN Security Council Committee on Sanctions against Taliban, Al-Qaeda as well as persons and entities connected therewith, including, within the context of further development of co-operation between the two UNSC Committees.

Discussing the role of regional organisations in the international anti terrorist operations the Deputy Ministers have informed each other in detail about their respective countries activities within the relevant structures which they are members of.

Increased emphasis was put on the problem of the potential use of Weapons of Mass Destruction by terrorists, the Deputy Ministers stressed the important role which the UNSC can play in this field. The Deputy Ministers also discussed ways of implementing the Resolution on "Measures to Prevent Terrorists from Acquiring Weapons of Mass Destruction", which was adopted by the 58th Session of the UN General Assembly.

Having acknowledged the necessity to further strengthen and enhance the universal legal framework on combating terrorism the Deputy Ministers discussed the importance of the work being undertaken at the UN on a Draft "International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism", which had originally been proposed by Russia and a Draft "Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism", which had originally been proposed by India. In this context the Deputy Ministers favoured the resolution of the remaining issues in order to expedite the conclusion of both Conventions.

The Deputy Ministers concurred on the need for continuing consultations on combating international terrorism and agreed to meet for the second session of political consultations in Moscow during 2005

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29 January 2004