The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Special Representative of the Russian Federation to the Southern African Development Community (SADC), His Excellency Mr. Victor I. Sibilev on 13th February 2019, met the SADC Executive Secretary, Her Excellency Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax and members of Management of the SADC Secretariat to discuss modalities and way forward towards operationalisation of the MoU on Basic Principles of Relations and Cooperation.
During the meeting, the Russian Ambassador expressed his appreciation for the cordial relations that exit between the two organizations and pledged continued collaboration. He highlighted areas such as manufacturing, agriculture and infrastructure development as some of the areas that can be considered in the operationalisation of the MoU on Basic Principles of Relations and Cooperation between SADC and Russia. His Excellency Ambassador Sibilev also extended an invitation from the President of the Russian Federation, His Excellency Mr. Vladimir Putin to the SADC Executive Secretary to the Russia-Africa Summit. The Summit is scheduled to take place in the City of Sochi in Russia on 24th October, 2019. The Summit will be preceded by the Russia-Africa Parliamentary Forum and Business Forum.
In her remarks, H.E. Dr Tax expressed gratitude to the Government of the Russian Federation for support whose commitment was expressed through the signing of the Memoranda of Understanding on Basic Principles of Relations and Cooperation, and Military-Technical Cooperation signed between SADC and the Russian Federation. She also thanked the Ambassador for the invitation to the Russia-Africa Summit, which comes exactly a year after the SADC Investment Forum which was held in Moscow on 24th October 2018. She outlined that the SADC will use the Summit as a platform to share with Russian Partners information on investment opportunities and investment climate in the SADC region.
H.E. Dr. Tax assured the Russian Ambassador of SADC’s continued commitment to collaborate with the Russian Federation in the implementation of programmes outlined in the two agreements signed between the two parties.
The two Parties also agreed to finalise modalities for the political dialogue and consultations between SADC and Russian Federation as provided for in the MoU on the Basic Principles of Relations and Cooperation signed between the two Parties.
The SADC Executive Secretary was accompanied by the Deputy Executive Secretary for Corporate Affairs (DES-CA), Ambassador Joseph Nourrice, Director of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR), Mr. Domingos Gove, Director of Infrastructure and Services, Ms. Mapolao Mokoena, Director of PPRM, Mr. Mubita Luwabelwa and SADC Chief of Staff, Brigadier Michael Mukokomani, representing the Director of the Organ on Politics Defence and Security Affairs.
