Joint Communiqué issued on the occasion of the State Visit by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H. E. Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, held in Cape Town, South Africa, 6 – 8 May 2013
1. At the invitation of the President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, paid a State Visit to South Africa from 6 - 8 May 2013.
2. His Excellency, President Jonathan was accompanied by a High-Level delegation comprising of State Governors, Members of the National Assembly, Cabinet Ministers, Business people and Senior Government Officials.
3. The Visit by President Goodluck Jonathan, coming just after the Working Visit to Nigeria by President Jacob Zuma on 16 April 2013, exemplifies the frequent exchange of High Level Visits and consultations that characterise the cordial relations between the two countries.
4. The State Visit was preceded by the 13th Session of the Special Implementation Committee (SIC) meeting of the South Africa-Nigeria Bi-National Commission (BNC), which was held in Cape Town from 3-4 May 2013.
5. During the State visit, President Jonathan held official talks with President Zuma, addressed a Joint sitting of the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa and participated in a Business Forum. After the State Visit, President Jonathan attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) in South Africa.
6. The deliberations during the Official Talks between the two delegations centred on bilateral, sub-regional, regional, and multilateral issues.
7. The two Presidents commended the SIC of the BNC for the progress made including the conclusion of the following Agreements/MoUs that were signed:
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Defence Cooperation
- Agreement between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the Waiver of Visas for Holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Cooperation in the Legal Field
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Cooperation in Oil and Gas Sectors
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Geology, Mining and Mineral Processing and Metallurgy
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Women Development and Child Development
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Power Sector Development
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the Field of Environment
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the Field of Information and communication Technologies
8. With regard to sub-regional issues, the two Presidents re-affirmed their commitment to the efforts of their respective sub-regional organisations towards peace and security.
9. The two Presidents noted that the forthcoming Golden Anniversary of the OAU/AU provides an opportunity to reflect on the past, present and the future of the organization and the continent. In this regard, the two Presidents re-affirmed their support for the AU in achieving its objectives.
10. On multilateral issues, President Jonathan and President Zuma reiterated their commitment to working together towards the reform of the UN system including the UNSC.
11. President Jonathan expressed his gratitude to President Zuma, the Government and the People of the Republic of South Africa, for the warm reception accorded to him and his delegation. He extended an invitation to President Zuma to pay a State Visit to Nigeria at a mutually agreed date. President Zuma accepted the invitation with pleasure.
12. After witnessing the signing of the nine legal instruments, both Presidents addressed the Media at Tuynhuys. The two Presidents informed the media about the importance of the strategic partnership between the two countries. They also indicated the importance of their cooperation in addressing bilateral, sub-regional, regional and multilateral issues. Both Presidents urged their respective Ministers and officials to monitor the implementation of the Agreements/MoU’s that have been signed between the two countries.
13. Deputy President, Mr Kgalema Mothlanthe, as the Co-Chair of the South Africa-Nigeria BNC, paid a courtesy call on H.E President Goodluck Jonathan.
14. The State Visit was concluded with a State Banquet offered by President Zuma in honour of President Jonathan. On this occasion, the two Heads of States again expressed their satisfaction on the progress made to strengthen the bilateral relations between South Africa and Nigeria, as well as on the wide range of issues that they deliberated upon during the State Visit. The signing of a number of Agreements/MoU’s was also testimony to the strength of the partnership.
ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENCY ON 7 MAY 2013
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