SADC Summit On Regional Integration In Southern Africa
7 November 2006
The democratic South Africa under the ANC-led government is continuously working to strengthen regional unity and Pan-African unity in all social endeavours.
Last month the SA Development Commmunity, or SADC, held an extraordinary summit on regional integration. The theme of the summit was the Economic Integration of SADC. The summit was attended by heads of state and government from the region. They met and discussed, amongst other things, to review progress and propose measures for scaling up implementation of regional integration; to assess the current status of implementation of the free-trade area in terms of activities required to complete it by 2008, as contained in the regionally indicated strategic development plan; and to analyse progress on the milestones for achieving the free-trade area and the SADC Customs Union, as well as the macro economic convergence in the region.
This development is an important part of the shared objective by the SADC member states to reduce poverty and underdevelopment. It also forms a very solid and strong basis for the enhancement of South-South co-operation, as well as the advancement of the Ipsa co-operation, with particular reference to the recent summit between China and Africa. Such an economic integration within SADC would form a very good basis for ensuring the sustainable implementation of the deal between China and Africa. I thank you.
S J NJIKELANA
ANC Member of Parliament
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