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Toast Remarks by the President of South
Africa, T Mbeki, at the Official Banquet in Honour of
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of the People's Democratic
Republic of Algeria: Presidential Guest House, Pretoria,
5 October 2004
Your Excellency, President Bouteflika,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am very pleased to welcome you, Your Excellency and
your delegation, to South Africa on the occasion of
the important 4th session of the Binational Commission.
The Government and people of South Africa are very happy
to host you and your delegation and wish that you have
a fulfilling stay in our country.
South Africa is proud to have such a strong and consistent
strategic partner in our joint efforts to develop our
countries and to do whatever we can to ensure that our
continent and other poor regions of the world pull themselves
out of the mire of poverty and underdevelopment.
Your Excellency, it was during your tenure as chairperson
of the OAU that our continent began the process of the
transition towards the African Union (AU) and the establishment
of the New Partnership for Africa,Äôs Development
(NEPAD). Not only is Algeria the founder member of this
AU programme, NEPAD, but your country and you as one
of our Deputy Chairpersons, continue to play a central
role in the affairs of this programme.
Together our countries have used the Bi-National Commission
to consolidate and expand our co-operation at various
levels of government, business, academic institutions
and many other formations of civil society. Since we
formed this Commission we have entered into 24 Co-operation
Agreements and additional agreements are in the process
of negotiation.
The challenge facing us is to ensure that the agreements
that we sign help both the peoples of Algeria and South
Africa to develop further towards a better and prosperous
future. We are aware that advances made within the Technical
Working Groups are varied, because some of these Groups
have performed better while others have lagged behind.
Clearly, we must take the necessary measures to ensure
that our Commission produces the results expected by
our peoples.
Indeed, we are happy that our economic relations have
improved and we now have the possibility further to
strengthen our relations in critical areas like engineering,
telecommunications, information technology, pharmaceuticals,
construction, finance, manufacturing, education, culture
and other sectors.
Your Excellency, it is not surprising that you play
such a critical role in the affairs of our continent.
Indeed, our country is indebted to your principled leadership
in the United Nations when, as Algerian Foreign Minister,
you presided over important decisions to isolate apartheid
South Africa.
The important work that you did at the United Nations
still inspires all of us as we work for the reform of
that important organisation of the nations of the world.
Undoubtedly, together we have an abiding duty to ensure
that the changes that are effected at the United Nations
and other multilateral institutions address the global
challenge of inequality between all nations and regions.
We should continue to work together so that these institutions
are transformed in such a way that they are better able
to defeat the scourge of poverty and underdevelopment
and assist our nations to tackle terrorism.
I am confident that through our Binational Commission,
Algeria and South Africa will be able to respond sufficiently
to the many and varied challenges in our two countries,
on our continent and in the world.
Ladies and Gentlemen: Please rise and join me and drink
to the good health of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika,
as well as to solidarity and friendship between the
sister peoples of Algeria and South Africa
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
5 October 2004
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