The Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Her Excellency, Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax on 6th August 2018 met with Chinese Ambassador to Botswana and Special Representative to SADC, His Excellency, Dr. Zhao Yanbo in Gaborone, Botswana.
The meeting was a follow-up to the one previously held on 18th May 2018, in which the two parties discussed matters of mutual interest, with particular emphasis on the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, scheduled for September 2018 in Beijing, China.
In her welcome remarks, H.E. Dr. Tax commended China for its continued commitment to strengthen the cooperation with the SADC Secretariat and, bi-laterally with SADC Member States. H.E. Dr Tax expressed her appreciation to the Government of China for its readiness to be a strategic partner in the consolidation of peace and security within the SADC Region.
The Executive Secretary requested the Chinese Ambassador to work closely with the SADC Secretariat in exploring more areas of collaboration and partnership for the benefit of SADC citizens.
On his part, H.E. Dr. Yanbo informed the SADC Executive Secretary that the Government of the Peoples Republic of China was finalizing the Framework Agreement on Economy, Trade, Investment and Technical Cooperation between the SADC and the Government of China to be signed during the upcoming FOCAC Summit.
The FOCAC Summit is held every three years to promote diplomatic, trade, security and investment relations between China and African countries, as well as promoting a united agenda governing relations between China and African Countries.
Ambassador H.E. Dr. Yambo was accompanied to the meeting by Third Secretary Mr. Huang Haixu, Economic & Commercial Section, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Botswana.
