Joint Communiqué on the occasion of the Official Visit to Angola by H. E. President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma: 23 to 24 November 2015
1. At the invitation of His Excellency, Engineer Jose Eduardo dos Santos, President of the Republic of Angola, His Excellency, Mr Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa undertook an Official Visit to Angola from 23 to 24 November 2015. Both Heads of State were supported by delegations of Ministers and Senior Government Officials.
2. During the visit, the two Heads of State fondly recalled their historical and fraternal relations which were cemented during the period of liberation struggle against colonialism and apartheid. In this regard, the two Heads of State expressed their satisfaction with the depth of the discussion and outcome of the meeting of the Former Liberation Movements held in Maputo on 20 November 2015.
3. The two Heads of State reviewed the ongoing bilateral cooperation between the two sister Republics and noted with satisfaction that to date thirty-three (33) bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding have since been signed covering a wide range of fields including, but not limited to, agriculture, health, education, defence; trade and industry, energy, tourism, arts and culture, transport, science and technology, finance, public works; mining and geology; telecommunication, etc. In this regard, the Heads of State directed ministers to prioritise full implementation of all signed agreements and memoranda of understanding for the mutual benefit of the respective countries and peoples.
4. The two Heads of State also noted the increasing economic cooperation between the two countries as demonstrated by the increasing trade figures as well as the private sector investments. In this regard, the two Heads of State reiterated their commitment to improve and strengthen economic cooperation by encouraging closer cooperation among business communities.
5. The Heads of State further directed the ministers to explore new initiatives that will forge close economic cooperation including the operationalization of the Angola-Namibia and South Africa Spatial Development Initiative (ANSA) to facilitate trade and industrial cooperation taking advantage of the promising new economic fields such as the ocean economy.
6. During their discussions, the two Heads of State exchanged views on the latest political and security developments in the region. They noted with great concern the continued instability and conflict in some parts of the continent. In this regard, they condemned in the strongest possible terms the recent terrorist attacks carried out in Nigeria, Mali, Cameroon, France and Beirut.
7. The two Heads of State reaffirmed the strategic importance of the founding Memorandum of Understanding of the Tripartite Mechanism on Dialogue and Cooperation between Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa and committed themselves to work with the Government and the people of the DRC to consolidate their peace, stability and development.
8. The Heads of State expressed serious concern with the on-going instability in the Republic of Burundi. The two Heads of State called for an immediate end to the violence and urged the Government and people of Burundi to work together through an inclusive political dialogue. In this regard, the Heads of State expressed full support to the East African Community mediation efforts led by His Excellency, President Yoweri Museveni and the African Union Peace and Security Council to bring about a lasting solution to the current challenges facing Burundi.
9. On the recent political developments in the Central African Republic, the two Heads of State expressed concern at the on-going instability and noted with appreciation the efforts of the Interim Government in preparing to hold a constitutional referendum on 13 December 2015 and parliamentary and presidential elections on 27 December 2015. The Heads of State commended the regional and international peace efforts as led by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS); the African Union and the United Nations.
10. The two Presidents noted the establishment of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Committee led by former Festus Mogae of Botswana to monitor and oversee the implementation of the Compromise Agreement in South Sudan. In this regard, the Heads of State called on all South Sudanese parties to honour signed agreements and return to Juba to participate in the Transitional Government and work towards sustainable peace, stability and development of the country.
11. Having reviewed the pockets of instability on the Continent, the two Heads of State called for an urgent need for the African Union to operationalize the African Union Standby Force in order to better deal with the conflicts which continue to cause humanitarian crises, untold suffering and instability. In this regard, the Presidents acknowledged Amani Africa II Military Exercise which took place in South Africa from 19 October to 6th November 2015 as a step towards realising this objective.
12. With regard to international matters, the two Heads of State reiterated their common view on the need to promote multilateralism and South-South cooperation. They reiterated their call for the reform of the United Nations Security Council to better represent the interests of the developing world. In this regard, President Zuma commended Angola’s sterling contribution to the United Nations Security Council in her capacity as a non-permanent member. The two Heads of State also welcomed the adoption by the Heads of State of the Sustainable Development Goals in New York in September 2015.
13. The two Heads of State further agreed to work together at the upcoming Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris and through the Africa Group and the Group of 77 and China (G77 and China), during negotiations based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and capabilities and pushed for a legally binding agreement.
14. The Heads of State noted the upcoming China Africa Forum for Cooperation (FOCAC) to take place in South Africa from 04-05 December 2015 and expressed their hope it would enhance stronger cooperation between Africa and China.
15. His Excellency, President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma reiterated his fraternal congratulations to the Government and people of Angola on their 40th Anniversary of Independence that was celebrated on 11th November 2015.
16. His Excellency, President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma expressed his profound gratitude to His Excellency, Engineer Jose Eduardo dos Santos and through him to the Government and people of Angola for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded to him and his delegation.
17. In conclusion, the Heads of State reaffirmed the strategic cooperation between the two countries and committed themselves to working together to forge a closer economic partnership for the mutual benefit of their two sister countries and the region of Southern Africa.
DONE IN LUANDA, ANGOLA
24 NOVEMBER 2015
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