HONOURABLE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE,

HONOURABLE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY,

YOUR LORDSHIP CHIEF JUSTICE,

HONOURABLE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER,

HONOURABLE MINISTERS,

HONOURABLE JUDGES OF THE HIGH COURT,

YOUR EXCELLENCIES HEADS OF DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS,

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

I AM GREATLY HONOURED AND DELIGHTED TO REJOICE WITH YOU, MR BUSSMAN - CHARGE D' AFFAIRES AD INTERIM AND THE GERMAN COMMUNITY IN LESOTHO ON THIS HAPPY OCCASION WHICH MARKS THE CELEBRATION OF THE 10"' ANNIVERSARY OF GERMAN UNITY.

I ALSO CONGRATULATE, IN A SPECIAL WAY, ALL THE PEOPLE OF YOUR GREAT COUNTRY ON THIS JOYFUL EVENT FOR THE BOLD SACRIFICES THEY MADE IN TURNING THEIR DREAM OF UNITY INTO REALITY AFTER FOUR DECADES OF REPRESSIVE RULE AND FORCED SEPARATION.

IT IS THEREFORE APPROPRIATE THAT MEMBERS OF ONE GERMAN FAMILY HAVE JOINED HANDS TOGETHER TO SHAPE THE DESTINY OF THEIR COUNTRY IN NATION- BUILDING AND IN SOLVING THEIR COMMON PROBLEMS FOR A BETTER AND PROSPEROUS FUTURE UNDER ONE FLAG.

THE IMPACT OF THIS SIGNIFICANT EVENT IN GERMANY WAS NOWHERE BETTER FELT AND SEEN THAN IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION DURING THE LAST YEARS OF THE LEADERSHIP OF PRESIDENT MIKHAIL GORBACHEV. PRESIDENT GORBACHEV HAD INTRODUCED HIS POLICY OF PERESTROIKA AND GLASNOST WHICH BROUGHT UNPRECEDENTED AND DRASTIC CHANGES IN HIS COUNTRY AND ALSO IN OTHER SOCIALIST COUNTRIES OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE AS YOU HAVE RIGHTLY POINTED OUT.

HERE IN AFRICA, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE EVENTS IN EUROPE THAT LED TO THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL MUST HAVE INFLUENCED EVENTS IN NAMIBIA AND SOUTH AFRICA WHICH ARE NOW FREE NATION STATES.

HERE IN AFRICA, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE EVENTS IN EUROPE THAT LED TO THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL MUST HAVE INFLUENCED EVENTS IN NAMIBIA AND SOUTH AFRICA WHICH ARE NOW FREE NATION STATES.

MR CHARGE D'AFFAIRES,

I ALSO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME AMONGST US OUR DISTINGUISHED VISITORS FROM GERMANY LED BY DR GUENTER BONNET, THE NEW HEAD OF THE REGIONAL DIVISION FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA AT THE GERMAN FEDERAL MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT DURING THEIR SHORT VISIT TO LESOTHO FOR CONSULTATIONS WHICH ARE BEING HELD TODAY WITH THE LESOTHO GOVERNMENT.

GERMAN BILATERAL ASSISTANCE TO LESOTHO TARGETS THE MOST VULNERABLE GROUPS IN OUR SOCIETY AND THUS GIVES CREDENCE TO OUR POLICY OF POVERTY ERADICATION.

WE BELIEVE THAT THIS MISSION, OTHERS BEFORE, AND MORE YET TO COME ARE A TESTIMONY OF THE SOUND AND FRIENDLY RELATIONS THAT HAVE CONTINUED TO EXIST BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES, OVER THE YEARS AND IN THE FUTURE.

IN ADDITION TO OUR BILATERAL COOPERATION, LESOTHO BENEFITS FROM GERMAN ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE EUROPEAN UNION. GERMANY'S CONTINUED INTEREST IN THE HIGHLAND WATER PROJECT AND IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LESOTHO'S WATER RESOURCES IN GENERAL REMAINS IMPORTANT SOURCE OF SATISFACTION TO US.

MR CHARGE D'AFFAIRES,

RECENTLY, HIS MAJESTY KING LETSIE III VISITED YOUR COUNTRY TO INAUGURATE LESOTHO'S STAND AT THE HANOVER EXPO 2000. THIS EVENT HAPPENED ON THE 4TH OF OCTOBER WHICH IS OUR NATIONAL DAY. WE CANNOT BUT FEEL PROUD OF THE WARM WELCOME HIS MAJESTY WAS ACCORDED BY YOUR GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE.

TO THE PRESIDENT!!!

FINALLY MAY I NOW INVITE YOU, MR CHARGE D'AFFAIRESI EXCELLENCIES AND DISTINGUISHED GUESTS TO RAISE YOUR GLASSES AND JOIN ME IN PROPOSING A TOAST FOR THE GOOD HEALTH OF HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT JOHANNES RAU OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, FOR THE SUCCESS OF HIS GOVERNMENT AND FOR THE PROSPERITY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY.