The Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Her Excellency Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax and the Director General of the Federal Agency for Military and Technical Cooperation of the Russian Federation, Mr Dmitry Shugaev on 24th October, 2018 held a meeting in Moscow to discuss the roadmap for the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Military and Technical Cooperation signed in July, 2018.
During the meeting, Mr Dmitry Shugaev informed the SADC Executive Secretary, that the Russian Federation has constituted a technical working group to be headed by the Deputy Director General of the Agency, Mr Anatoly Punchuk to discuss and finalise the roadmap with relevant structures of SADC. The Director General said, guided by the principles of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, the Russian Federation stands ready to support SADC in building its capacity through technology transfer and training.
H.E. Dr Tax thanked the Russian Federal Agency for Military and Technical Cooperation for the demonstrated commitment to operationalize the MoU. She further noted that the SADC region can benefit a lot from the high technological and technical capacity and advanced security systems of the Russian Federation, thereby enabling SADC to effectively participate in, and contribute to the maintenance of regional and international peace and security, which is the main thrust of the SADC-Russia MoU on Military and Technical Cooperation.
Both parties agreed to finalize the roadmap though joint technical team, comprising officials and experts from SADC and the Russian Federation.
The SADC Executive Secretary was accompanied to the meeting with the Federal Agency on Military and Technical Cooperation by H.E. Mr. Shadreck Luwita, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Zambia to the Russian Federation and H.E. Major General (retired) Simon Marco Mumwi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Republic of Tanzania to the Russian Federation. The Republic of Zambia is the current SADC Chairperson of the Organ on Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation and the United Republic of Tanzania is the Current Incoming Chairperson of SADC.
