between national and regional strategies and programmes, harmonize our political and socio-economic policies and plans, develop policies aimed at the progressive elimination of obstacles to the free movement of capital and labour, goods and services and of the peoples of our States, improve economic management and performance through regional co-operation and reduce economic imbalances; WHEREAS the SADC Summit of Heads of State or Government has decided to procure the design, financing and construction of the new headquarters accommodation for SADC in Gaborone, Republic of Botswana; BEARING IN MIND that the SADC Council of Ministers has mandated the Double Troika Finance Ministers comprising six Member States, namely Republic of Botswana, Kingdom of Lesotho, the Republic of Mauritius, Republic of Namibia, Republic of South Africa and United Republic of Tanzania known as the Double Troika Finance Ministers to determine the preferred technical solution option and the preferred procurement mechanism for the new headquarters accommodation for SADC; NOTING that the Double Troika Finance Ministers has established a committee of experts the SADC Double Troika Member States, known as the Double Troika Technical Committee, to facilitate the process of implementation of the Project; RECOGNISING that, following the completion of a Feasibility Study Report on the proposed Project, in August 2005 the SADC Summit approved it and directed the Double Troika Finance Ministers to consider the recommendations made thereunder by the Double Troika Technical Committee on the new headquarters accommodation for SADC to procure the design, finance and construction of the new headquarters accommodation for SADC through a Public Private Partnership ("PPP"); AWARE that the Double Troika Finance Ministers considered and approved the recommendation by the Double Troika Technical Committee in December 2005, and mandated the Secretariat to develop a Memorandum of Understanding to the effect that due to SADC's reliance on Member State contributions, one of the Member States should underwrite the financial obligations that SADC will incur under the PPP Agreement, and that the most appropriate Member State to perform this function is the Republic of Botswana; NOW THEREFORE, it has been agreed as follows: ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION 1. The headings of the clauses in this Memorandum of Understating are for the purpose of convenience and reference only and shall not be used in the interpretation of nor modify nor amplify the terms of this Memorandum of Understating nor any provision hereof. 2