Mbeki's EU trip to bolster trade
Thabo Mokgola
15 November 2004
President Thabo Mbeki leads a high-profile delegation on an official visit to the European Union (EU) this week - the first such visit by a South African president since 1994.
Mbeki will meet EU Commission president designate Jose Manuel Barroso and the president of the Council of the European Union, Jan Peter Balkenende.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, issues that will feature in Mbeki's meetings include South Africa's Trade, Development and Co-operation Agreement with the EU, support for the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), and the situation in the Great Lakes Region.
His visit will also help to lay the groundwork for establishing closer working relations with the European Parliament. Mbeki is scheduled to address the European Parliament and also meet with its leader, Josep Borell Fontelles, leaders of the different political groupings, and the EU-South Africa Inter-Parliamentary Group.
The EU
included 10 new member countries in May this year, expanding to 25; adopted a new draft Constitution; elected a new European Parliament, and set up a new Commission.
"The visit of the President could not come at a more opportune time in a year that has been momentous for both South Africa and the EU", the department said in a statement.
The EU is South Africa's biggest trading partner, accounting for more than 40% of SA's international trade.
Forging closer ties with Belgium
Mbeki's European tour kicks off on Monday with an official visit to Belgium, where he will meet with King Albert II and Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt.
Among those accompanying Mbeki are Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota and Deputy Finance Minister Jabu Moleketi.
The delegation will establish a joint commission with Belgium to help take relations to a higher level.
While in Belgium, Mbeki will also meet with the leaders of Flanders, Wallonia and the German-speaking Community. South Africa already has extensive relations with Flanders, and is looking forward to deepening ties with Belgium's other regions and communities.
Mbeki's visit begins with a meeting with the African Diaspora in Belgium and Europe, organised by a co-ordinating committee consisting of the ACP Group of States, the African Union Permanent Mission in Brussels, the International Organisation for Migration and the South African Embassy in Brussels.
Given Belgium's unique ties with and commitments in the Great Lakes Region, a substantial number of the participants in the conference will be from that African region.
President Mbeki will be the keynote speaker at the conference, and is expected to call upon the Diaspora to contribute to Africa's Renaissance.
"The President will call upon the participants to formulate their own proposals on how they
believe they can contribute to the projects and programmes of the New Partnership for Africa's Development and to promote peace, stability and democracy on the continent", the department said.
Source: BuaNews
| 
