Italy
2 September 2007
Pretoria: South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, supported
by Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad, will on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 depart
for Rome, Italy where she is scheduled to pay a working visit from Wednesday, 5
September to Saturday 8, September 2007.
While in Italy, Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka will pay a courtesy call on
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, hold discussions with her Italian counterpart,
Deputy Prime and Minister of Foreign Affairs Massimo D'Alema on Thursday, 6
September 2007 and address the Ambrosetti Forum on the theme 'The World: Key
Current Challenges' at Lake Como, Cernobbio, on 7 September 2007.
Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka's visit to Italy comes within the context of
South Africa's priority to consolidate political and economic relations with
Italy as a member of the European Union, Group of Eight (G8) and non-permanent
member of the United Nations Security Council in pursuit of implementing South
Africa and Africa's development agenda.
Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka's bilateral consultations with the Italian
Government are expected to include:
* the current status of political, economic and trade relations, and
prospects for increased relations
* co-operation within the framework of Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative
for South Africa (AsgiSA) and Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition
(Jipsa)
* preparations for the official visit of Italian Prime Minister Romani Prodi to
South Africa in 2008
* a briefing on developments within the European and African Unions
* the main outcomes of the recent Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Summit
* preparations for the European Union�Africa summit in Lisbon in December
* enhanced co-operation within the United Nations as both countries are
presently on-permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Established in 1975, the Ambrosetti Forum is Italy's version of the World
Economic Forum and sees Heads of State, top representatives of European
institutions and Italian cabinet ministers come together to discuss issues of
greatest impact for the global economy.
The participation of Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka in the Ambrosetti Forum
will provide an opportunity to present South Africa and Africa's development
agenda.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
2 September 2007
