he Southern African Development Community (SADC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Russia for support in the field of Military Technical Cooperation.
The MOU was signed on 27th July 2018, on the sidelines of the tenth BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Executive Secretary of SADC, Her Excellency Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax signed on behalf of SADC, while the Director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Mr Dmitry Shugaev signed on behalf of the Government on Russia.
As highlighted by the SADC Executive Secretary, the objective of the cooperation under the MOU is to promote cooperation between the Parties and enhance their capacity to participate in, and contribute to the maintenance of regional and international peace and security. “The Parties will cooperate in the military technological and technical areas particularly in the fields of, but not limited to, joint production, research, development, and technology transfer; as well as in military training”, Dr Tax added.
Mr Shugaev said that the signing of the Memorandum "creates the basis for developing multilateral interaction in the military and technical sphere between the Russian Federation and African countries," and added that the implementation of joint projects will help maintain stability and security in the SADC region.
The cooperation under this MOU will be anchored on the common values and principles and the historical and cultural affinities that exist between the peoples of SADC Member States and the people of the Russian Federation.
