Southern Africa countries pledge enhanced trade ties with China, India

Southern African countries Tuesday pledged better trade and investment relations with China as well as India in the final communique released at the end of their two-day summit.

Newly-elected Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Paul Berenger said at a press conference that he will pay an official visit to China in January next year.

While answering a question posed by Xinhua, he said, "I am looking forward to the forthcoming visit to China and explore how to collaborate between the two sides."

He said trade relations between SADC, which represents about 210 million people, and the world's two most populous countries, China and India should be further boosted.

Berenger said he had also exchanged views with the Indian side on mutual cooperation during his visit to India six months ago.

Also prime minister of Indian Ocean island country Mauritius, Berenger said on Monday, "SADC has always endeavored to promote dialogue with developing and developed country partners, but there is need for us to strengthen existing dialogues."

And "in particularly, it is my intention during my tenure as chair to give a new dimension to relations between SADC and India and China." said Berenger.

In 2003, India and the Southern African regional bloc reached agreement for partnership arrangement with SADC-India Forum and the first ministerial interaction between SADC and India was held in New Delhi.

Indian Ocean island Madagascar has been accepted into the fold during the summit, which brings back the number of SADC member states to 14, but the decision to upgrade its membership will take effect only next year. Other members of the group are Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Seychelles withdrew itself on July 1 due to failure in membership payment.

Source: Xinhua