Pretoria, March 21 (NNN-BUANEWS) Regional economic integration is one of the issues on the agenda of the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) Council of Ministers meeting in Lesotho later this week.
South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad departs for Maseru, Lesotho, on Wednesday, to join Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, as part of a senior South African government delegation to the meeting scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
"Although the March session of the Council of Ministers is customarily of a predominantly administrative and financial nature, foreign ministers are expected to deliberate on the review of operations of the Integrated Committee of Ministers (ICM) as well as progress made in the regional economic integration process following a report from the Ministerial Task Force on this issue," the Department of Foreign Affairs here said in a statement Tuesday.
Pahad will participate in this meeting within the context of South Africa's commitment to consolidate the African developmental agenda by promoting the integration and development of SADC, the department added.
The ministers will consider, among other things, progress in the establishment of the new SADC headquarters including its design, financing and construction. They are also to discuss financing SADC projects, including the HIV and AIDS project, the Hashim Mbita project, and the food security training programme.
Outcomes of the SADC-European Union Joint Ministerial meeting are also on the agenda, as is the proposed SADC Conference on Poverty and Development and the proposed membership of the Seychelles in the regional body.
Ministers will also receive reports from the Executive Secretary, the SADC Troika and the organization's Finance Committee.
The ministerial meeting will be preceded by meetings of the Standing Committee of Senior Officials and the Finance Committee.
Pahad is scheduled to return to South Africa on Saturday.