of the Deputy President
1 October 2007
Pretoria: South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad will on Monday, 1
October 2007, depart for Stockholm, Sweden ahead of Deputy President Phumzile
Mlambo-Ngcuka for the fifth session of the South AfricaâSweden Binational
Commission scheduled from Wednesday, 3 October 2007, to Thursday, 4 October
2007. Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka will depart for Sweden on Tuesday, 2
October 2007.
Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka will co-chair this session of the SA-Sweden
BNC together with her counterpart Deputy Prime Minister Olofsson within the
context of South Africa's priority to strengthen and consolidate bilateral
political, economic and trade relations with Sweden with a view to a faster and
shared economic growth.
Accordingly, Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka will use her visit to Sweden to
build sustainable relations, especially in the light of the transformation of
the development cooperation relations, promote economic relations, with special
emphasis on investment, Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South
Africa (AsgiSA) and Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa)
and explore enhanced co-operation in Africa, both trilateral co-operation and
co-ordination of activities to promote conflict prevention and resolution and
promote post-conflict reconstruction.
The BNC consists of three committee's i.e. Political Affairs, Economic
Affairs and Social Affairs chaired by the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Trade
and Industry and National Treasury respectively.
Issues on the agenda of discussions between Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka
and Deputy Prime Minister Olofsson are expected to include, among others:
* The status of bilateral political, economic and trade relations between both
countries;
* Sweden's support of AsgiSA and Jipsa
* a review of developments in Africa including peacekeeping and conflict
resolution
* a review of global developments including the 62nd session of the United
Nations General Assembly, the comprehensive reform of the United Nations and
climate change.
While in Sweden Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka is also expected to hold
discussions with SAAB/Gripen International, the Swedish Ministers for
Employment, Sven Otto Littorin and Education and Science, Lars Leijonborg,
concerning Asgisa and Jipsa, African Heads of Mission based in Sweden, Swedish
captains of industry, open a South AfricaâSweden Investment Seminar, present a
keynote address at the Swedish Institute for International Affairs.
Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka will also lay a wreath at the grave of Olof
Palme and visit the Karolinska University Hospital. Deputy President
Mlambo-Ngcuka is expected to arrive in South Africa on Friday, 5 October
2007.
Bilateral Economic Relations
South African exports to Sweden
2000: R1 046 906 000
2001: R633 097 000
2002: R751 069 000
2003: R820 345 000
2004: R1 200 414 000
2005: R1 589 864 000
2006: R2 968 624 000
South African imports from Sweden
2000: R2 902 935 000
2001: R2 597 472 000
2002: R3 337 698 000
2003: R3 356 685 000
2004: R4 113 526 000
2005: R4 857 250 000
2006: R5 876 103 000
Enquiries:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
1 October 2007
