Minister Dlamini Zuma to host the SA-Rwanda Joint Commission of Co-Operation, 25 March 2009, Cape Town

Cape Town- South African  Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will tomorrow Wednesday 25 March co-chair the South Africa- Rwanda Joint Commission of Cooperation (JCC) with her Rwandan counterpart, Foreign Minister Rosemary Museminali at Groote Schuur house Rondebosch, Cape Town.

The SA-Rwanda Joint Commission of Cooperation is held within the context of consolidating structured political relations between the two countries and to take stock of the progress made since the last session of the SA/Rwanda JCC held in August 2006 in Kigali.

In this regard, the two Ministers are expected to sign the following agreements:

• MoU on Water Affairs and Forestry
• Agreement on Co-operation in the Fields of Arts and Culture
• Agreement for Science and Technology Cooperation

South Africa and Rwanda signed the General Agreement on Bilateral Co-operation in 1999 for the establishment of a Joint Commission of Co-operation (JCC) at Ministerial level which provides a formal framework for concrete direction to bilateral relations in a wide range of areas. Since the inauguration of the JCC in Pretoria on 22 June 2001, significant progress has been recorded in areas such as institution and capacity building, health and education.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between SA and Rwanda, bilateral relations between the two countries have been characterised by close contact at a high political level. Rwanda has been a partner in championing the consolidation of the African Agenda by being among the first countries to volunteer for the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and by actively contributing troops to African Peacekeeping Missions in the Comoros and Darfur respectively.

On 13 December 2007, South Africa hosted the Mid-Term Review Mechanism (MTRM) session to review progress of the different JCC working groups in preparation for the 5th Session of the JCC to be held in Pretoria on 24 and 25 March 2009.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 08 990 48 53

Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X 152
Pretoria, 0001

24 March 2009.