Minister Lehtomäki to attend ministerial meeting between the EU and the Southern African Development Community (SADC)

Press release 464/2006
16 November, 2006

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paula Lehtomäki will attend a ministerial meeting between the European Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Maseru, Lesotho, on Friday, 17 November. Lehtomäki will lead the EU troika delegation. The SADC delegation will be led by Lesotho, as the present SADC chair.

The agenda of the meeting will focus on the political dialogue between the EU and SADC. The meeting will discuss the current political situation in Southern Africa and issues related to peace and security in the region. The meeting will also discuss development issues and the regional integration process of SADC as well as cooperation between the EU and SADC in these fields.

The current situations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe and Swaziland will be among the political issues raised.

The political dialogue between the EU and SADC is regular.  Ministerial meetings are organised every two years. The last ministerial meeting was held in the Hague in 2004.

Further information: Deputy Director General Heli Sirve, GSM +358 40 576 9471, Second Secretary Hannu Heinonen, GSM +358 40 530 4896, Department for Africa and the Middle East