Friday
6th December 2002;
The
Department of Civil Aviation Zambia signed the Memorandum Of
Understanding on Harmonization of Civil Aviation Regulations, becoming the
second state to sign this MOU. With this
signature, Zambia and South Africa become the first two states among which the
MOU has come into force. It is expected
that several other SADC Member States will sign the MOU in the next few weeks.
The
process of Harmonization started many years ago, in the 1980’s, but has to date
not been consolidated into an identifiable project, and as such has had limited
success. The states signatories to the
MOU are looking forward to tangible and definite steps leading to the first set
of harmonization regulations in the very near future.
The
signing of this MOU, marks the threshold of a
historical development that will put into place one of the strongest pillars
yet, of the cooperation envisaged by the SADC Heads of State and Government, as
they signed the Protocol on Transport Communication and Meteorology in 1996.
The
Zambian Civil Aviation Authority and South African Civil Aviation Authority,
being the first signatories of the MOU, which effectively and immediately puts
it into force, take this opportunity to thank all stakeholders who have made
various contributions in an effort toward this historical day, and now looking
forward to signing by other SADC Member States.
ISSUED:
Pretoria
6 December
2002