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Prime Ministers,
Honourable Ministers,
Ambassadors,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to be here today on the occasion of the South African - Nordic Summit. I would like to thank Prime Minister Bondevik for inviting me to be part of your meeting of Nordic Prime Ministers in this beautiful city of Molde.

It has been eight years since South Africa proudly joined the free and democratic nations of the world. We believe that in this period of time we have made significant progress in addressing the legacy of the apartheid past and in building a better life for our people. We have accomplished much in this short space of time, but we are conscious that much remains to be done to end poverty and disease and to provide the conditions for our people to lead fulfilling and productive lives.

The support and humanitarian aid we received from all the Nordic countries during the dark days of our struggle against apartheid came at a time when the world had not yet condemned apartheid as a crime against humanity and disassociated themselves from the racist policies of the apartheid government.

Your support brought much hope and comfort to the South African refugees and exiles and strengthened the hand of our people in their struggle against the regime. The support of your governments and your peoples made it possible for the people of South Africa to nurture and indeed fulfil their dream of building a society based on a culture of human rights and governed by just laws.

In continuing to help South Africa to strengthen its democracy and to eradicate the legacy of apartheid, you are assisting us once more in achieving our developmental goals.

It was this same selfless spirit that, after the Skagen Summit, led the Nordic countries to give assistance for the establishment of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). The Nordic countries have proven to be committed partners in supporting NEPAD in the international arena.

I am pleased that our meeting today has succeeded in building on the framework that was laid at the South African - Nordic Summit in Skagen in June 2000.

Here in Molde, I believe, we have reached new heights in our relationship which will not only strengthen our respective bilateral relations, but will also build a sound foundation of shared respect for human rights and democracy, a foundation which must enable us to develop our national economies in order to push back the frontiers of poverty and underdevelopment.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Clearly, South Africa's development is inextricably bound up with the development of the continent of Africa as a whole. It is for this reason that we have invested so much time on the project of the African Renaissance leading to the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

We do so being conscious of the reality that the cause of African development, of prosperity for the African people, that we embrace, is one that cannot be attained overnight. It depends on a wide range of things that, amongst others, include an end to conflicts, the entrenchment of peace and stability, the development of codes and standards of good political and economic governance and the acceptance and implementation of a peer review system.

These are weighty matters that I believe over time will come to be accepted by all who are serious about sustainable development as a realistic goal and not as an unworkable dream.

We also welcome your support and cooperation in our preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg later this year. As you would know, this Summit is critical in the struggle to advance the fight against poverty in the world, particularly on the African continent.

The Declaration we adopted today will ensure that we continue to work together on these and other concrete matters and I certainly look forward to meeting with you again in the near future.

I ask you to rise and join me in a toast dedicated to the deepening of friendship between the peoples of the Nordic countries and the people of South Africa and the African continent.

I thank you.

Issued by The Presidency, 12 May 2002