Joint Communique Issued following the Working Visit to Guinea by His Excellency Mr Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa, 3 - 4 July 2006

At the invitation of His Excellency General Lansana Conté, President of the Republic of Guinea, His Excellency Mr Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa, undertook a working visit to Guinea from 3 to 4 July 2006.

His Excellency President Mbeki was accompanied by Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr M Mpahlwa, Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms B Sonjica, Minister of Minerals and Energy, Mr R Padayachie, Deputy Minister of Communications and senior government officials.

The visit took place within the context of the historic relations of friendship, solidarity and cooperation between the two peoples.

During the visit, the two Heads of State reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries as well as political issues in the sub-region, the region and the international arena. They reaffirmed their determination to work towards the strengthening of the relations of friendship and co-operation between the two countries, as well as the promotion of international peace and security.

His Excellency Mr Thabo Mbeki paid tribute to the government and people of Guinea for their selfless contribution to the decolonization of Africa and to the liberation of South Africa, in particular.

On bilateral issues, the two Heads of State expressed their satisfaction with the state of relations between the two countries and reaffirmed their determination to work towards their further development and promotion.

In this regard, the two Heads of States instructed their respective Ministers to intensify co-operation in all sectors of development, particularly in mining, energy, water affairs, telecommunications and transport.

His Excellency General Lansana Conté expressed to His Excellency President Thabo Mbeki his ardent wish to see South African participation in major development projects in Guinea, such as the Trans-Guinea Railway Project, the exploitation of the country's mineral resources, the construction of hydro-electric dams and the provision of water to the Guinean population.

In this regard, the two Heads of State urged their respective Ministers to develop the necessary plans for the implementation of these projects. They also committed their governments to the promotion of partnerships between the private sectors of the two countries.

The two Heads of State also expressed their satisfaction with the signing in Pretoria of the Agreement on Co-operation in the field of Education in October 2004, the Agreement on a Framework for Co-operation in December 2005 in Bamako, the agreements in the areas of trade and diplomatic consultations in July 2006 in Conakry.

The two Heads of State urged their Ministers to develop the necessary legal framework and put in place mechanisms and programmes aimed at exploiting the various identified areas of co-operation. They also urged that the inaugural session of the Joint Commission of Co-operation between the two countries should be held as soon as possible.

His Excellency General Lansana Conté welcomed the opening of a South African Diplomatic Mission in Conakry that will no doubt contribute towards the strengthening of the historic ties of friendship and co-operation between the Governments and peoples of Guinea and South Africa.

In order to facilitate the exchange of official delegations, the two Heads of State instructed their respective Ministers to finalise the waiving of visas for diplomatic and official passport holders of the two countries.

On the political situation in West Africa the two Heads of State welcomed the outcome of the recent International Working Group meeting on Côte d'Ivoire and urged all Ivorian parties to implement the roadmap, particularly the disarmament and national identification processes, in order to pave the way for the holding of free, transparent and peaceful elections in October 2006.

His Excellency General Lansana Conté hailed the efforts of President Thabo Mbeki and his government in the resolution of conflict and the maintenance of peace in Africa, notably in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The two Heads of State agreed to join efforts for the restoration of a climate of lasting peace and stability in the sub-region, mainly in the Mano river basin, by contributing towards the consolidation of the progress made in Sierra Leone and by supporting post-conflict reconstruction in Liberia.

In a regional context, the two Heads of State reaffirmed their commitment to the realization of political unity and the integration of the African continent, within the context of the African Union. They stressed the essential role of NEPAD in the fight against poverty and underdevelopment in Africa and pledged to work towards its implementation.

The two Heads of State welcomed the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement in Abuja on 5 May 2006 and its subsequent adoption by other leaders of the groups within the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). They deplored the continuing violence on the civilian population and displacement of persons in the Darfur region. They further called upon all parties involved in the conflict to cease hostilities and move towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict and adhere to the letter and spirit of the Abuja Peace Agreement.

On international issues, the two Heads of State shared views on security issues in the Middle East, the reform of the United Nations, relations with the G8 and the World Trade Organisation.

They noted with deep concern the escalation of violence in the Middle East and reiterated that peace can only be achieved through a negotiated settlement based on a two state solution that provides for a sovereign Palestinian State and guarantees the right of Israel to live within secure borders. In that regard, His Excellency President Thabo Mbeki and His Excellency General Lansana Conté called on the Israeli and Palestinian governments to work towards the restoration of a climate conducive for a return to a negotiated, just and peaceful settlement of the Middle East Conflict, as provided for in the Road Map.

The two Heads of State stressed the importance of multilateralism in the search for solutions to the serious issues of the day. In this regard, they reaffirmed the crucial role of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security. The two Heads of State agreed that the ongoing reforms should lead to a strengthened United Nations that is more representative and able to deliver on its mandates effectively and efficiently. In this regard, they reaffirmed their commitment to the Syrte Declaration.

The two Heads of State stressed the need for a stronger economic partnership between the G8 and the African Continent. They recalled the challenges facing Africa in its quest to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and agreed that the international community would need to enhance its partnership with the Continent within the context of NEPAD. In this regard, they expressed the hope that the forthcoming G8 meeting in St Petersburg will place issues of development in Africa at the centre of its agenda.

The two Heads of State called on the World Trade Organisation to adhere to the timeframes agreed upon at the December 2005 Hong Kong ministerial meeting, namely to reach conclusion on the Doha Round by the end of the year or early 2007 and to reach agreement on the full modalities in agriculture and non-agriculture market access.

During his stay, His Excellency Mr Thabo Mbeki visited the Kindia region, where a warm and fraternal reception was accorded to him by the local community.

At the end of his visit, His Excellency Mr Thabo Mbeki expressed his satisfaction and profound gratitude to His Excellency General Lansana Conté and the government and people of Guinea for the warm welcome and the hospitality extended to him and his delegation.

His Excellency Mr Thabo Mbeki extended an invitation to His Excellency General Lansana Conté to undertake a working visit to South Africa.

This invitation was accepted and it was agreed that the date of the visit will be agreed upon via the diplomatic channel.

Signed in Conakry, 3 July 2006

Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

4 July 2006