Development needs peace - Aziz
2005-05-05 12:15
Pretoria - South Africa and Nigeria could not successfully tackle issues of development and providing quality of life for Africans without ensuring peace and stability on the continent, foreign affairs deputy minister Azis Pahad said in Pretoria on Thursday.
Pahad was addressing the Special Implementation Committee on binational commission matters between the two countries.
He said the SIC was meeting for the first time since its inaugural meeting in October 2003.
Pahad congratulated Nigerian President Olusegun Obansanjo on his commitment to conflict resolution on the continent.
As two of Africa's important players, South Africa and Nigeria had taken the initiative in conflict resolution in countries such the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, while the international community and the United Nations sat "twiddling their thumbs, caught up in bureaucracy", Pahad said.
Leader of the Nigerian delegation Mike Kwanashie said his delegation was looking forward to fruitful discussion with their South African counterparts and hoped for collaboration and co-operation on African and global issues.
- SAPA