Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many times Ministers in his Department have engaged with the leadership of the Southern African Development Community since 5 July 2024.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers, including the Foreign Secretary and I, have enjoyed broad engagement with the leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) during visits to South Africa, Malawi and Zambia. The Minister for Africa, Lord Collins, has had three ministerial engagements with the Tanzanian government and the current Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs. Lord Collins is due to meet with Southern African Development Community leadership during his upcoming visit to Botswana (14-16 January 2025), discussing areas of mutual interest, including energy reform and regional security.