The Southern African Development Community (SADC) closed its two-day summit here on Friday, with leaders of the 14 member countries reaffirming their commitment to the regional integration agenda.

Pakalitha Mosisili, Lesotho prime minister and new chairman of SADC, said that to meet the regional integration goals required enhanced and sustained political will and commitment.

"We must be prepared to surrender a little more of our national sovereignty over domestic policy, so as to pool our regional sovereignty together in pursuit of larger and longer term goals and benefits to all member countries," said Mosisili at the closing ceremony.

Integration had its obvious costs, said the bloc's new chairman, "but I can assure you, the cost of not integrating is far higher."

Mosisili said that leaders of the community would commit themselves to move towards meeting challenges that face the region, of which HIV/AIDS pandemic and the alleviation if not eradication of poverty were the uppermost.

Deputy Chairman of SADC and Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa said also at the ceremony that facing daunting challenges, member countries must focus on the implementation of various protocols the bloc had approved for social and economic development.

Next year's summit will be held in Zambia.

Leaders of the 14 member countries held closed-door sessions on Thursday and Friday, deliberating on a number of regional development issues, with several draft agreements approved.

SADC is a major regional body in Africa with a total population of over 230 million that accounts for almost one third of the African continent.

Its members are Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Source: Xinhua