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Vice President Atiku Abubakar,
High Commissioners, Dr Olagunji and Mr Sifingo
Government Ministers,
Business Representatives from both Nigeria & South Africa
Government Officials,
Ladies & Gentlemen

When we opened this 3rd session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-national Commission, we did so filled with a sense that perhaps we had not been vigorous enough in pursuing delivery on the agreements we signed last year.

As we conclude this meeting, I would like to thank the members of the Commission for their hard work over the past few days.

Having highlighted the problem, I would like to commend them for the determination not to disappoint that one senses in discussions with some members of the Commission.

The commitment that one has observed is the driving principle that is necessary to achieve our broader objectives of building a better life for the people of our countries.

I would like to repeat a statement I made at the end of the 2nd session of our BNC last year, these achievements.are, first and foremost, achievements for the people of South Africa and Nigeria - but they are also achievements for the peoples of Africa.

I believe that this statement is as true today as it was in 1999 and 2000, because through them we know that we are steadily and surely moving closer to our goal of renewal of the African continent.

I am happy therefore that we have, once again, exceeded our expectations in reaching agreement to co-operate in five very important areas.

The Agreements we signed today include:

* The Agreement on Defence Co-operation;
* The Agreement on Institutional Co-operation in the Field of Agriculture;
* The Agreement on Scientific and Technological Co-operation;
* The Agreement on Arts & Culture and
* The Agreement on Police Co-operation and A Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and South Africa and a Declaration of Intent In respect of Immigration Issues

Mr Vice President, the agreements that we have signed today are in line with the key areas identified in the Millennium African Renaissance Plan. As you know the key areas of MAP include human resource development and the strengthening of technological capacity.

The common features of the agreements that we have signed focus mainly on:
* sharing of information, resources and expertise;
* sharing of technology and training of personnel;
* fact finding/research visits by experts and
* sharing of our heritage

Science and Technology applications continue to play a key role in transforming economies around the world. The signing of the Agreement on Science and Technology opens up excellent opportunities for our two nations to grow their synergies from respective expertise and innovation and in that way fast track our economic development.

At the opening of the session Mr Vice President, I said, "as Africans we share a bond forged over centuries and reflected in the commonality of our cultures".

The Agreement on Arts & Culture will ensure that relations between our two countries live on beyond this generation to future generations because of the bond that it will help to strengthen. The advent of globalisation poses a threat to the long-term survival of our African heritage through increased exposure to Western cultures that threaten to overshadow our own.

The soul of a nation is encapsulated in its culture and thus the signing of this agreement intertwines our two nations at a higher level and is the first step in ensuring the preservation of our traditions.

These two agreements as well as the co-operation in Education can definitely become the catalyst that could give the necessary impetus to the African Renaissance.

I am positive that by the next session of the Bi-National Commission, consensus would have been reached on health, Tourism, Information, Sports and Social Development. This would mean that the total spectrum of development is covered by this co-operation arrangement between our two countries.

The successful conclusion of the Agreement on Defence Co-operation between the governments of the Republic of South Africa and the Federal Republic of Nigeria signifies an opening up of opportunities to explore and develop various avenues of co-operation in the defence sector.

It further strengthens the relations between both countries' Armed Forces and their ability to contribute towards an environment of peace, security and stability on the continent.

Your Excellency, we have said since the first meeting of our Bi-National Commission that peace and stability are the underpinning principles for development on the continent.

Since our last meeting in South Africa last year there has been significant progress made in this regard. Our two countries and their leaders have been successful in convincing the world that Africa is serious about ending conflicts on the continent and ensuring that peace, stability and democracy flourish.

This has caused many world leaders to become convinced of Africa's determination to end its own marginalisation and of the seriousness with which we view our own development.
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For the first time in history we have developed countries giving a chance by allowing us to say what we think needs to be done on our continent and to take the lead in finding solutions to our own problems.

This is due in large part to the calibre of leadership that is emerging on our continent, a leadership that values the freedom and prosperity of its people and is determined to ensure democracy and sustainable development in Africa.

Ladies & Gentlemen, many leaders from the developed nations and from international/multilateral institutions have come to recognise that a fresh approach to Africa is necessary not only for the benefit of Africa but for the benefit of the developed nations themselves.

This as we all know has culminated in our two leaders, the President of Nigeria, President Obasanjo and South Africa's President Mbeki, together with the Algeria's President Bouteflika, being tasked to develop a plan that will ensure that Africa has the possibility to pull herself out of her current state.

Indeed they have produced a groundbreaking plan that places Africa at the forefront of its own development and renewal, that seeks to turn around the general view of Africa as a continent that is constantly dependent on AID.

For this reason the plan for Africa's renewal places special emphasis on the need to ensure economic growth to place Africa on a development path.

Indeed there is growing recognition among African countries that, in a globalised world, the private sector, as the main controller of capital is an asset that needs to be attracted.

However there still remain barriers to development that are a consequence of our painful history. Your Excellency, economic development requires special conditions to take root, that are often taken for granted in developed countries but remain a barrier to Africa's entry into the mainstream world economy.

Infrastructure development is an area that Africa needs to pay special attention to and has been highlighted in the programme for African renewal as a critical area to unlock the economic potential of the continent.

Although it is but one of the many barriers to development in Africa it takes top priority because of the greater risk it poses for investors and of the further marginalisation of Africa.

In this regard the private sector has a challenge to invest in infrastructure projects that will, in the long run, not only benefit their countries but also business itself.

Given this role that the business sector could play in the reconstruction of Africa, I propose that following the OAU's endorsement of the Millennium African Renaissance Plan there ought to be a Summit between the African private sector and leaders of state and governments on the continent.

This need arises because our private sector is one of the key stakeholders in addressing Africa's challenges and ensuring the implementation of The Plan and therefore it is imperative that they understand clearly what it is that needs to be done by all of us.

Your Excellency, at the first meeting of our Bi-National Commission in 1999 we declared our intention to ensure that Africa is freed from conflicts to create the correct conditions for democracy to take root and to flourish.

I am happy to hear that in their discussions the working group on Foreign Affairs & Co-operation agreed that there is a need to strengthen the regional mechanisms for conflict resolution and that our two countries should provide expertise to re-enforce the existing early warning system. The Memorandum of Understanding signed by our Deputy Minister and your Minister of State for Foreign Affairs provides the ideal framework within which this can take place.

Your Excellency, Mr Vice President, as we leave Nigeria, I am confident that the 3rd session of the Bi-National Commission between our two countries has been a success. No less than 8 exchange visits have been planned by the Technical Teams. This does not include the meetings between Ministers that have been agreed upon to take place twice a year.

I am convinced that such visits will ensure the further strengthening of our relations and ensure that the agreements we have signed today are a reality that impacts positively on people's lives in our respective countries.

Five agreements are also currently under consideration and the technical groups are hard at work with the aim of finalising them.

These include:
* The implementation of the educational co-operation agreement;
* The framework programme on co-operation in Science & Technology;
* A Memorandum of Understanding on Health;
* An agreement on co-operation in the fields of Arts & Culture and
* A free trade area between Nigeria and South Africa.

The groups identified many areas of discussion on possible co-operation and these will form the basis for continued negotiations during the coming year.

Mr Vice President, since the opening of this third session, I have sensed amongst our Ministers and officials a new sense of commitment to this process.

I am convinced that when we meet for the 4th session, we will be in a position then to translate our interaction at this level to a tangible improvement of the lives of ordinary Nigerians and South Africans.

We look forward to receiving President Obasanjo in South Africa in the next few weeks and we look forward to receiving the various members of the technical experts who will be visiting South Africa throughout the year.

Indeed we also look forward to hosting you in South Africa for the 4th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission in 2002.

I thank you all.

Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs

14 March 2001-