Opening remarks by His Excellency, President Jacob Zuma, on the occasion of the Inaugural Session of the Bi-National Commission between the Republic of South Africa and the Republic of Botswana, Pretoria

Your Excellency, President Ian Khama;

Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers;

Senior Officials;

Ladies and gentlemen;

It is with greatpleasure that I welcome you, Mr President and your esteemed delegation to SouthAfrica.

Allow me, YourExcellency, to thank you for honouring our invitation to this the inauguralSession of the Bi-National Commission between our two countries.

I hope that ourwelcoming you and our hospitality will equally match the warmth andfriendliness that I experienced during my State Visit to Botswana in August 2012. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

South Africa and Botswanashare close historical, geographical and cultural affinities.

These are the bondsthat bind our two countries, inextricably linking us to a common future.

Long before we formalisedour relations, our peoples interacted with one another, with Botswana being arefuge to many of our citizens as they sought shelter and protection from thebrutal apartheid government, which was determined on destabilizing any countrythat offered support to the liberation movements.

It was these earlyinteractions that laid the foundations of our current strong ties.

Whenever, we meet wecannot but recognize this rich history between our two countries.

Ladies and gentlemen,

South Africa andBotswana have enjoyed formal bilateral relations for nearly 20 years now andthe level of interaction has continued to grow from strength to strength as weseek new and better ways to improve our cooperation.

It is in this light,Your Excellency, that we have deemed it necessary to elevate our existing structuredbilateral mechanisms to the highest level possible, hence the signing in August2012 of the Agreement establishing the Bi-National Commissionbetween our twosisterly countries.

This new framework expandsour bilateral interaction by combining the Joint Permanent Commission forCooperation and the Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today is therefore ahistoric occasion as we formally inaugurate the Bi-National Commission betweenour two countries.

The decision toestablish the BNC is a clear commitment by our two countries to consolidate andenhance our bilateral cooperation to a strategic partnership.

Your Excellency

This BNC provides us theplatform to expand our cooperation to cover a wide range of areas includingenergy, trade and investment, transport, education, communications, science andtechnology.

This also includesagriculture, security, immigration, arts and culture, water and environmentalcooperation, cross border cooperation, justice, to mention but a few.

We need to prioritisecross border projects that have the potential to increase and ease movement ofgoods and services for the mutual benefit of our respective countries andpeoples.

Your Excellency

Our two countries belong to the same regional,continental and international organisations.

We therefore need to strengthen our cooperationwithin these organisations.

In this regard, we take this opportunity tothank Botswana for her valuable support to South Africa’s candidature for theseat in the United Nations Human Rights Council.

We assure you, Your Excellency, that SouthAfrica will utilize her presence in the Council to speak out against humanrights violations whenever and wherever such violations take place.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We will shortly be receiving reports fromMinisters and Senior Officials who have been meeting for the past three daysand I look forward to successful deliberations.

I now take this opportunity to invite you, YourExcellency, to make your opening remarks.

I thank you for your attention.