Remarks by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Sue van der Merwe, on the occasion of a farewell luncheon in honour of outgoing Mauritanian Ambassador OULD LEBATT on Tuesday, 14 August 2007, Villa Sterne, Pretoria

 Distinguished Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Professor Mohammed El-Hacen Ould Lebatt

Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Thank you for joining us here today to say farewell to His Excellency Ambassador Mohammed El-Hacen Ould Lebatt who will be leaving South Africa at the end of his term of duty as the first Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania to South Africa. 

In the time that you have served South Africa there have been many changes in Mauritania. Importantly, the upheavals have culminated in successful elections and the historic inauguration of Mauritanian’s first democratically elected President on 19 April 2007.  Your government is to be congratulated on the peaceful and efficient manner in which the elections were conducted.  Mauritania has thus been readmitted to the African Union and has become another of the increasing number of African countries to make the peaceful transition to democratic rule.

As prepare to return to your country please know that South Africa will continue to support the Mauritanian government and its people in their efforts to reconstruct and develop their country.

Already, there exist very strong bonds of friendship and solidarity between our two countries that will serve as good foundation for further collaboration. During the visit to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania by our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma in 2005, a General Cooperation Agreement was signed to cement the diplomatic relations between our two countries.

Since then, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania opened a resident diplomatic mission in Pretoria in 2006, also serving as the diplomatic mission in Southern African Development Community (SADC). South Africa has therefore taken the necessary steps to reciprocate, and the preparatory work has been done and we hope to have a South African Mission in Mauritanian by the end of the year. These developments we anticipate will further boost our bilateral relationship.

Your Excellency,

During your term of office in South Africa Ambassador you have energetically pursued the interests of your country but also promoted our shared in vision of a renaissance for our continent.  Also, as an academic and scholar you have made and I am sure will continue to make substantial contribution to Mauritania’s constitutional and democratic development.

I think it is safe to say that, as a result of your efforts on behalf of your country, no longer will Mauritania be confused with a small island in the Indian Ocean starting with an M and including similar vowels!!

Ladies and gentlemen,

In his capacity as Rector of the University of Mauritania, Ambassador Lebatt had over the years also made an important contribution towards the establishment of an appropriate educational framework as well as the development of skills and expertise at tertiary level in his country in order to meet the new challenges facing our continent.

Ambassador, I am sure you will leave many friends behind in South Africa, and we sincerely hope that this will not be farewell, but that you will visit us again soon, you will always be welcome here.

We understand that you are taking up another position with a company with South African and Mauritanian interests and which operates in the field of mining in central and East Africa. We wish you every success in this new venture, and are delighted that this will mean that you will retain your ties with South Africa.

We would like to collectively convey to you our gratitude and recognition for the many positive contributions you have made towards the establishment of strong bilateral relations between South Africa and Mauritania.

Thank you and Bon voyage