meeting in Gambia
25 June 2006
Pretoria - South African Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma
will depart South Africa today, 25 June, on an eight nation official visit that
will see her visiting Gambia, Guinea Conakry, Niger, Germany, Russia, United
Kingdom and Cote d'Ivoire from 25 June until 22 July 2006.
In Gambia, Minister Dlamini Zuma will lead a South African delegation to the
African Union Executive Council of Foreign Ministers which will lay a basis for
the forthcoming African Union Summit of heads of State and government scheduled
for 1 and 2 July in Banjul.
The African Union Executive Council and Summit take place against the
background of the scene setting address by African Union (AU) Commission
Chairperson Professor, Alpha Konare on "Confronting challenges facing Africa"
delivered at University of South Africa (Unisa), Pretoria on Saturday, 24 June
2006.
President Thabo Mbeki and Minister Dlamini Zuma, on the other hand, will be
participating in the AU Summit and ExCo meetings within the contexts of ongoing
efforts to consolidate the African Agenda through amongst others the
strengthening and consolidation of the AU institutions.
On the agenda of the African Union Executive Council is a series of
strategic political, economic and organisational issues upon which the Foreign
Ministers are expected to make recommendations to the AU Summit of heads of
State and government to ratify.
These include amongst others reports on:
* the draft African Charter on democracy, elections and governance including
a review of the Lome Declaration on Unconstitutional changes of governments in
Africa;
* youth, information communication technology (ICT), electric power, rail and
air transport;
* strategic framework for migration policy;
* rationalisation of regional economic communities;
* integration of Africa in multilateral trade;
* establishment of an African commodities exchange;
* post conflict reconstruction and development;
* and the situation in the Middle East.
Contact:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
25 July 2006
Source: SAPA
