Hon House Chairperson, hon Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, invited guests, ladies and gentlemen, I was a bit disappointed with the DA, because I thought that something original would come out of Mr Davidson rather than padding by quoting the National Development Plan, NDP, but that indicates probably a bankruptcy of original thought. [Applause.] [Laughter.]
House Chairperson, our foreign policy of ubuntu expresses the desire for others also to have what we want for ourselves. South Africa's foreign policy, like that of any other state, is a projection of our domestic imperatives. Through our foreign policy, we project South Africa's vast opportunities as an investment destination of choice, as a world-class tourist destination, and as an exporter of quality goods and services.
Indeed, this is what we do on a daily basis through all our missions abroad, through our high-level visits, diplomatic interaction and the various channels of mass communication.
Hon members, it is in our national interest that we continue to champion and promote human rights in our country, Africa and the world.
We have an independent foreign policy for this, just for the information of the DA, based on human rights, which the DA will never ever achieve in their lives.
The major hallmarks of our human rights agenda are most visible in the conduct of our foreign policy strategies, particularly in our efforts to strengthen the African Agenda. Our involvement in peacekeeping missions in Africa finds expression in our key foreign policy strategy on Africa. We are inspired by the belief that the promotion of human rights is essential for the development and prosperity of any nation in the world.
It is not surprising that South Africa is increasingly called upon to share its experiences and to play an active role in mediating between conflicting parties, in assisting with post-conflict reconstruction and development efforts by those countries emerging from conflict, and to assist others in developing their own mechanisms for reconciliation and nation-building.
We have demonstrated our commitment to continue monitoring the ongoing political transition processes in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, as the Minister has mentioned. We have offered our assistance and experience to the transitional governments and political role-players in these countries, particularly in the drafting of their respective constitutions and in the reconciliation process.
We have been actively involved with the government of Sri Lanka. Our approach has also taken into account the important role of civil society, nongovernmental organisations and other relevant stakeholders. The idea behind our involvement is to help the people of Sri Lanka to deal with the aftermath of the civil war that took place in 2009. I have personally visited Sri Lanka to engage in various forums, mainly about our own experience.
Our message is therefore consistent throughout, namely the importance of establishing inclusive dialogue, the importance of justice, democracy, the rule of law and a legitimate constitution as a basis for peaceful co- existence. Chairperson, as the Minister has already indicated, Asia remains a strategic continent for South Africa, and our political and economic relations continue to strengthen.
The importance of some of the countries, notably China, Japan, India and South Korea as direct foreign investors in our country cannot be overemphasised. The region's importance for South Africa is underscored by the fact that Asia is the fastest-growing region in the world, followed by Africa. Although trade between South Africa and these countries is growing, the skewed trade in their favour requires sharp focus.
The South African government will continue to strengthen its engagement with all its key partners, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Another important structure that defines our milestone is the South Africa- China Strategic Dialogue. This is an important platform, where we engage on issues of common interest and mutual benefit. At its fifteenth session, which took place in November 2012, the establishment of the Joint Working Group on South Africa-China Co-operation featured prominently. It was also during this session that the Chinese government offered a total of 200 scholarships to the government of South Africa. We must take advantage of this opportunity. [Applause.] Our relations with Japan are solid. We continue to enjoy cordial bilateral relations with this part of Asia, through our Strategic Co-operation Partnership. In March this year, I had an opportunity to co-chair the 12th South Africa-Japan Partnership Forum meeting, which was an important milestone in the evolution of our bilateral relations, focusing on the official development assistance from Japan to South Africa, and the upcoming fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, which our President will be attending.
Our relations with South Korea are sound, particularly in the fields of trade, information and communication technology and water management.
Our engagement with Central Asia is gaining momentum. We are also making economic strides in Uzbekistan. Sasol has established a permanent presence in that country, and will partner with the Uzbek government in the production of liquid fuel from gas.
Hon members, the deteriorating military and humanitarian situation in Syria and the resultant number of fatalities, internally displaced people and refugees continue to increase. South Africa has condemned both the ongoing violence perpetrated by the government of Syria and the atrocities committed by the rebels and sectarian groups. South Africa is convinced that there can be no military solution to the crisis and urges all parties to immediately put an end to the violence, and start engaging in dialogue, and reach an agreement on a political transition based on the Geneva Communiqu of June 2012.
I don't know where the DA gets the idea that when voting in the UN, we have supported oppressive regimes. We have had an independent policy and we have always voted independently in the UN Security Council.
The granting of observer status to Palestine by the UN's General Assembly last November was a significant turning point in the struggle for Palestinian statehood. We again urge all parties in the Palestine-Israel conflict to enter into genuine negotiations, to create an independent Palestinian state, based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Likewise, we continue to support the right to self-determination of the Saharawi people.
The Republic of Iraq remains an important country for South Africa. We are guided by our shared common history of a struggle for independence and self- determination. We have already welcomed, and hosted, the Minister of Trade of the Republic of Iraq to our shores in November 2012, and an agreement on economic and technical co-operation between the two countries was signed.
Although the Islamic Republic of Iran finds itself in a difficult position internationally, our government is of the view that we should continue to maintain good relations with this country. At the invitation of Dr Hossein Abdollahian, Deputy Iranian Foreign Minister for African and Arab Affairs, I paid a visit to Iran in April 2013. One of the objectives of my visit was to encourage his government to take the necessary steps to seek consensus with the United Nations and its agencies on its nuclear programme.
Hon members, moving closer to the prospects that the Indian Ocean Rim holds for our development, it must be emphasised that this formation has attracted the quest for influence and hegemony in the geostrategic context, driven by global competition for natural resources and market share. A clear strategy to engage this formation is therefore necessary for our own economic development.
The need to leverage this agglomeration of key economic anchor countries is in congruence with South Africa's domestic priorities, namely economic growth, job creation and skills development as the regional and continental integration agendas. I thank you very much. [Time expired.] [Applause.]