SOUTH AFRICA

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SOUTH AFRICAS STRUCTURED COMMISSIONS WITH NORTH
AFRICAN STATES
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NORTH AFRICA

• Arab countries with Islam as dominant religion -
  secular states
• Occupied by both religious colonial forces
• Close historical ties with Middle East / Gulf
  States
• Close economic historical ties with
  Mediterranean Europe

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• Political destiny tied to Africa and Arab world
• Revival of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)
• Emergence of Libya from international isolation -
  implication for regional politics
• Most developed region in Africa after RSA
• All states in region (except Mauritania LDC) on
  Medium Human Development i.t.o. UNDP (Tunisia
  Libya outrank SA)

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ALGERIA

• Est. 1998 - 27 agreements signed transport
  trade minerals energy defence science
  technology etc.
• Regular political consultation between Heads of
  State Ministers.
• Consolidated SAs strategic relations with
  Algeria
• Numerous agreements still under negotiation

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• Mid-term Review Meeting of Snr Officials of the
  Technical Working Groups (TWGs) scheduled for
  September 2005 - to evaluate status of
  implementation of 4th BNC
• Overlap in constitution of TWGs
• TWGs operate at varying levels of efficiency
• Lack of implementation remains serious problem

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Way-Forward

• BNC to be held annually with a Snr Officials
  Mid-Term Review Meeting
• Reconfigure TWGs - taking into consideration
• - Thematic approach, informed by content, not
  form
• - Work to be streamlined

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• - Needs to be focussed made more relevant
• Has to add value to the relationship

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EGYPT

• 17 Agreements signed - solid legal framework
  established
• Little implementation, except for arts culture
  tourism bilateral air services
• 10 extra-governmental agreements signed over a
  range of issues
• SAA signed code-sharing agreement with Egypt Air
  in July 2005

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• Egypt is an important player on continent, in
  Arab politics active on developmental agenda
  Political partnership based on common interest
  very important for SA
• JBC in existence since 1995
• Bilateral trade rapidly declining since 1998

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Way-Forward

• Progress to be assessed after an 18-24 month
  cycle
• Need to focus engagement on political
  consultation international issues trade
  issues tourism agriculture and arts culture,
  science and technology

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LIBYA

• Diplomatic relations established in 1995 amid UN
  sanctions Lockerbie issue
• Through SA interventions UN sanctions lifted
  Libya welcomed back into international community
• Establishment of JBC in 2002 gave impetus to
  bilateral relations
• 2nd JBC scheduled for 2006

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• Cooperation in mineral energy sector very good
  - ESKOM currently refurbishing all power stations
  in Libya - SA construction consulting companies
  involved in infrastructural projects
• Several Agreements signed to date
• Visit of former Dep-Pres. Zuma earlier in 2005
  gave impetus to relations

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• Reciprocal visit by Prime Minister Shukri Ghanem
  later in 2005 (to be hosted by Dep-Pres. Ngcuka)
  envisaged to strengthen bilateral economic
  relations

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Way-Forward

• Implementation of agreements through programmes
  of action for specific sectors
• Mid-Term Review at Snr Official level to assess
  progress made

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MAURITANIA

• Diplomatic relations established in 1995
• 1st official visit - Visit by Minister Zuma in
  January 2005
• Agreed in principle to establish a Joint
  Commission of Cooperation (JCC)
• 1st JCC can only be held once the situation in
  Mauritania has been normalised following the coup.

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MOROCCO

• Inaugural JBC held in Morocco in 1998
• 4 agreements signed - 15 under negotiation
• Volume of trade has increased steadily since 2000

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• Interest in Morocco will have to be resurrected
  with other depts due to long period of inactivity

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TUNISIA

• 4th JBC was held in SA in July 2004
• State visit on 12-13 October 2004
• 16 Agreements signed to date
• Legal framework to be completed in areas of trade
  investment defence and arts culture
• Multilaterally Tunisia is active in peacekeeping
  operations on the continent

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• Need to encourage development of programme of
  action for specific fields medical agriculture
  art culture sport etc.
• Current programme to remove cataracts in rural
  areas by Tunisian opthamologists is a major
  success
• SA drawing lessons from Tunisia on its successful
  poverty alleviation programme

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Way-forward

• JBC to be held bi-annually with annual Mid-Term
  Reviews at Snr Official level