JOHANNESBURG, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Southern African nations have committed to strengthening bilateral relations, deepening regional integration, enhancing policy coherence, and presenting a unified voice in global engagements, according to a joint statement released on Sunday.
Ministers of foreign affairs from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states made the commitment during a meeting held at the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, from Friday to Sunday.
The ministers highlighted several pressing global and regional challenges, including climate change, the Middle East conflict, and disruptions to international trade, energy, tourism, and financial systems.
They noted that these factors are driving up food and fuel prices, fueling exchange-rate volatility, and heightening risks to food and energy security across the region.
According to the statement, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to collective action aimed at strengthening resilience, deepening regional integration, and advancing sustainable development across the SADC member states.
They also pledged to enhance policy coherence, strengthen regional institutions, and advance coordinated diplomacy to "ensure a coherent regional voice in global engagements."
Key agenda items included food security, regional integration financing, investment strategies, public debt management, and domestic revenue mobilization.
The ministers also deliberated on industrialization, value chains, trade, infrastructure development, transport, logistics, and the free movement of people.
Additionally, discussions covered energy sectors, oil and gas, mineral resources, agricultural supply chains, and market access.
SADC is an intergovernmental organization comprising 16 member states: Angola, Botswana, the Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. ■