President Thabo Mbeki and his Mozambican counterpart Armando Guebuza co-chaired the South Africa-Mozambique Heads of State Economic Bilateral Commission at the Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria.
Issues of mutual benefit that were discussed at the meeting included those pertaining to:
· The economic cooperation;
· Tourism and environment issues;
· Finance;
· Customs administration and border matters;
· Minerals and energy; and
· Transport and communication
Addressing the media following the meeting, Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa said the meeting was successful and reported on progress made regarding a number of issues that the two countries were cooperating in or planning to do so in the near future.
“Generally it was a meeting that registered a lot of progress from a lot of fronts. This shows deepening cooperation between South Africa and Mozambique.
“The meeting covered a lot of ground, it was a progress report of many areas,” he explained.
Mpahlwa said the meeting provided an opportunity for the parties to make inroads on a number of areas and to move closer to signing agreements in those areas.
Regarding tourism and environment discussions, the meeting looked how the two countries should prepare themselves to benefit from the opportunities that would be created by the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, to be held in South Africa.
“We discussed how we should prepare ourselves to ensure that by the time the tournament arrives we have the necessary infrastructure and the capacity to make sure that we can benefit from all the Trans-Frontier Conservation Areas,” he said.
South Africa has identified the region's Trans-Frontier Parks (TFPs) and Trans-Frontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs), as coupled with the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as a unique opportunity for growth in the tourism industry.
The TFCAs are relatively large areas, straddling frontiers between two or more countries and cover large-scale natural systems encompassing one or more protected areas.
They involve a unique level of international co-operation between the participating countries, particularly issues relating to the opening of international boundaries and within each region.
At the meeting, they also discussed and signed agreements on finance and the avoidance of double taxation, and for the establishment of One-Stop-Border Posts, which will first be implemented at the Lubombo Border Post between the two countries.
The meeting also received a progress report on the progress made regarding the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on economic cooperation signed between South Africa and Mozambique in 2005.
“It shows that on a number of aspects we are beginning to see progress in the implementation of the MoU,” explained the Minister.
South Africa is also looking into the possibility of establishing a steel plant at the Matola Metallurgical Complex in Mozambique.
Mozambican Minister of Finance Manuel Chang told reporters that the project would benefit both countries economically.
He said Mozambican officials would prepare a memorandum with more information regarding the project.
“Matola Metallurgical Complex is an initiative that will help us grow our economies,” he said.
Article published courtesy of BuaNews
