Farewell Remarks by Deputy Minister Sue van der Merwe on the occasion of the Farewell Lunch in honour of Ambassador Pierre Labouverie of the Kingdom of Belgium, 13 July 2006

(Mrs. Beatrijs Labouverie has already departed South Africa).

Your Excellency, Ambassador Pierre Labouverie
Ambassadors and High Commissioners
Distinguished Guests

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to this luncheon to bid farewell to a dear friend of South Africa, Ambassador Pierre Labouverie, who has represented the Kingdom of Belgium in South Africa with great distinction.

During his four years with us, Ambassador Labouverie not only skillfully nurtured these ties, but also contributed actively to forging the new era in Belgian-South African diplomatic relations that we have been building since 1994.

The past few years have seen some very important new directions in our bilateral relations, and we have been very fortunate indeed to have diplomats of the calibre of Ambassadors Labouverie and Matjila stewarding the South Africa-Belgium partnership during this time. A real momentum has developed since President Mbeki's official visit to Belgium in November 2004. Both governments share a strong and mutual desire to give more substance to our ties. The South Africa-Belgium Joint Commission that has been set up for this purpose, which the Ambassador played a key role in shaping, will meet for the first time later this year.

Although Ambassador Labouverie will regrettably not be here to see the results of his hard work, he leaves behind many good and original suggestions for new forms of co-operation that will be taken forward by the Commission.

I would like to extend a word of appreciation to you for your tenure in South Africa, which was marked by a number of high level visits by our respective Heads of State and Government, which I believe is no mean feat for any Ambassador.

Ambassador, today is therefore a sad day in that we know that you, a friend of South Africa, will be leaving our shores shortly. I would like to extend a word of appreciation for your tenure in South Africa, which was marked by a number of high level visits by your Heads of State and Government respectively, which I believe is no mean feat for any Ambassador.

Just a few weeks after arriving in July 2002, the Ambassador had to contend with the World Summit for Sustainable Development, to which Belgium sent a formidable delegation, including the Crown Prince, Prime Minister, Federal Ministers and Members of Parliament.

Soon after, the then Foreign Minister Louis Michel visited at very short notice, in early January, which is always a challenge as Sotuh Africa is generally on holiday at the time. Ambassador Labouverie, as usual, handled these and other nerve-wrecking situations with remarkable calmness and aplomb.

Earlier this year, I had the honour of participating in the official visit of Prince Phillipe and Princess Mathilde to South Africa. The Prince and Princess undertook a packed week-long programme, accompanied by two ministers and an enormous delegation of close to 170 officials and businesspeople. This visit was certainly one of the most complex and challenging to South Africa in recent times, but thanks to the meticulous planning and skill of Ambassador Labouverie and his small team, turned out to be a wonderful success. Excellent new contacts and networks were established between the two business communities, and I am sure that the next years' trade and investment statistics will reflect this extraordinary achievement.

Beyond this, ladies and gentlemen, South Africa and Belgium, share not only a history dating back to, but also a commitment to common values and progressive ideals. We are both concerned with the creation of a better world and leaving a legacy for our youth, for our children and for future generations to come.

We are encouraged by your support in our quest to bring about stability in our continent by supporting the peace processes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We look forward to more trilateral projects and to continuing to work closely together with the Belgium in this very critical area.

On 30 July, the Democratic Republic of Congo will hold its first democratic elections in forty years, a historic milestone in the unfolding African Renaissance. As Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has noted: 'A successful election in the DRC will unleash a vast amount of human energy in the struggle against poverty and underdevelopment both in the Congo and in the rest of the continent.'

Both South Africa and Belgium are deeply committed to bringing peace, security, democracy and development to the Great Lakes Region. We are extremely pleased that Belgium continues to pursue a policy of active engagement in the Great Lakes, based on the principle of support for African ownership and solutions. The challenges of this region are so enormous that they require the co-operation of all international partners, working in concert under the direction of the AU and UN.

All of us who have worked with Ambassador Labouverie know of his impressive knowledge and expertise on Africa and, in particular, the Great Lakes Region, honed by six postings on the continent, including in Lubumbashi and Kinshasa during the eighties. I would like to highlight the special role that Ambassador Labouverie has played in building the close partnership that exists between South Africa and Belgium in the region. Ambassador Labouverie has, in particular, been a strong advocate of greater trilateral co-operation in the DRC, an area that will assume even greater importance once the elections are over and the hard work of reconstruction begins in earnest.

South Africa values the close co-operation that has been established in the DRC in security sector reform, particularly joint training of the integrated DRC army, and would like to see this broadened to include other spheres as well, including public sector reform and capacity building, and economic reconstruction. Ambassador Labouverie has also been at the forefront of discussions to look at ways to enhance our already close co-operation in Burundi.

Ambassador Labouverie, please accept our sincere gratitude and appreciation for your kindness, professionalism and friendship over these past few years and for the contribution that you have made to further strengthening the web of ties that bind our two countries. You leave a proud legacy and a solid foundation for all of us to build on. I hope that you and Mrs. Labouverie will always remember your time in South Africa with a great deal of fondness, and that we will be able to welcome you back to our shores before long.

Please raise your glasses and join me in wishing His Excellency all the best with his new assignment in Hungary.