The Head of State of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was speaking at the 43rd Summit of the regional organisation during a ceremony that marked the transfer of SADC chair to Angolan counterpart João Lourenço.
“To increase the international trade our industrialisation programme should be complemented by services and infrastructure networks in order to ensure technological progress in the region”, he said, shortly before handing over the organisation’s chair to his Angolan counterpart.
According to Félix Tshisekedi, an industrialised SADC will overcome its challenges, create decent jobs for the people and, ultimately, reduce poverty in the region.
He highlighted the region’s enormous potential in terms of inter-regional trade, investment and economic growth.
The DRC president noted that the region must continue on this path, taking advantage of its vast natural resources, exploiting them for manufacturing, in order to export value-added products in accordance with the industrialisation strategy and the SADC Roadmap 2015/2063, adopted nine years ago.
The outgoing president took stock of the activity carried out while at the helm of the organisatrion, with focus on the implementation of actions that adequate to the vision of the founders of the organisation, based on the construction of a united, prosperous and upright community.
He said he had received support from all Member States and partners, including the private sector.
The president expressed his conviction that the theme of the next exercise (2023/2024), to be led by Angola, will allow to continue advancing the industrialisation agenda, putting forward the human and financial capital of the region.
In his speech, Félix Thisekedi pointed to some problems that negatively impacted on performance of the 2022/2023 agricultural campaign, such natural disasters.
The organisation comprises Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)