Acting Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Ambassador Tebogo Seokolo, says the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministers of Foreign Affairs gathering is expected to give clear direction on how the region should respond collectively to rising global geopolitical pressures affecting members of the regional bloc.
Seokolo also says the gathering will provide clear direction on how the region can implement the inter-regional trade.
The SADC meeting is taking place at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park, in Mpumalanga.
During the region’s previous meeting, member states agreed to accelerate the implementation of policies and programmes to advance regional integration and development.
South Africa is currently leading the regional bloc.
Sekolo says if the policies and programmes are fully implemented, many of the region’s economies will improve greatly.
“There’s a political commitment which must now be translated into a plan. To ensure that these rich minerals benefit the people of our region. So, this is the first step to harness the political commitment among countries of the region to develop our region,” says Seokolo.
Sekolo says they are looking to hear how Angola and Mozambique plan to use their oil reserves to benefit the region.
“We are looking forward to hearing from Angola on how they will work with the region to make sure that we address the energy challenges facing our region. You have Mozambique with abundant gas reserves … and I think from these discussions here, each one of us has something that can assist the region. How do we leverage on that?” he explains.
High-level discussions are underway with ministers engaging in a series of panel sessions focusing on the impact of global geopolitical developments.
On Friday, International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Minister Ronald Lamola said the outcomes of the retreat will strengthen solidarity among member states and position the regional bloc as a stronger player in global affairs.
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