President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama today (April 29) returned from an extraordinary Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit of Heads of State and Government.
Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Lapologang Lekoa said the meeting was an effort by SADC leaders to focus on the region’s integration.
Participants deliberated on the strategy roadmap for the industrialisation of the SADC region, said Mr Lekoa, adding that SADC felt that it was about time that the regional bloc focused on the actual core, which was industrialisation as a driver for integration.
“The current chairperson, President Robert Mugabe felt that there should be specific effort by SADC countries to focus on the issue of industrialisation to drive economic integration of SADC countries. This will give member states an impetus to trade in together and facilitate investment among SADC countries in order to have a larger market,” he said.
In that summit, leaders called for push of integration of the region’s economies and ministers of trade, finance and transport were tasked to meet and come up with firm proposals which can push integration of economies.
A news release from SADC stated that the SADC Industrialisation Strategy Roadmap would become a blue print for industrial development and enhance deeper economic integration in the region.
Source : BOPA
