SA, Swedish deputies talk investment
12 January 2009
Deputy President Baleka Mbete met her Swedish counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister Maud Olofsson, in Pretoria on Monday morning to build support for investment in South African and the continent.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the meeting, the first engagement between the two deputies, was held in a "meet-and-greet" environment.
The Swedish deputy prime minister, who has been in South Africa on a private holiday in Gauteng and the Western Cape, requested the meeting to establish contact with Mbete as they are the co-chairs of the South African–Swedish Bi-National Commission.
Sweden will be a very strategic partner for South Africa, as the Nordic country will be taking the helm of the European Union in July 2009, when the Czech Republic's term ends.
Sweden and other Nordic countries provided crucial support to South Africa's liberation movement during the anti-apartheid struggle.
Since 1994, Sweden has donated over R1-billion for South African development, covering a range of support to central, provincial and local authorities as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
"The Swedish government has made it a priority commitment to build up a partnership with South Africa as part of the Swedish government's Africa policy," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
"Sweden has also indicated that it will be transforming its development cooperation relations with South Africa, with a greater emphasis in future on a partnership with South Africa in joint trilateral projects regionally in Africa."
The South African–Swedish Bi-National Commission was established in 2000 and has since met in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007. The next meeting has been postponed to early 2010 due to Sweden's forthcoming presidency of the EU.
Trade between South Africa and Sweden remains heavily in favour of Sweden, with over R10-billion in goods imported from Sweden between January and September 2008, up from R2.9-billion in 2000.
South Africa's exports to Sweden totalled R2.7-billion between January and September 2008, having increased from just over R1-billion in 2000.
The main trade sectors, both in imports and exports, include manufactured goods, machinery, automotive and transport goods, mining equipment, and chemicals and fuel products.
Source: BuaNews
