(NAM) Summit
14 September 2006
Pretoria - South African President Thabo Mbeki accompanied by Foreign
Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is expected in Havana, Cuba, later today,
Thursday, 14 September 2006, ahead of the Non-Aligned Movement Summit of Heads
of State and government scheduled from Friday to Saturday, 15 - 16 September
2006.
President Mbeki was in Brasilia, Brazil, where he together with his
counterparts from India and Brazil participated in the inaugural
India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Heads of State and Government Summit.
President Mbeki will participate in the NAM Summit within the context of
South Africa's commitment to promote South-South co-operation and support for
the developmental agenda of the south through, among others, the revitalisation
of NAM to effectively position it to play a meaningful role in global
affairs.
President Mbeki's delegation also includes Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz
Pahad and Foreign Affairs Director-General, Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba.
Issues on the agenda of the NAM are likely to include among others:
* poverty and under-development
* peace and security
* restructuring of the global exercise of power.
The summit will also address the Middle East situation including Palestine
and Israel, Iraq and Iran, terrorism, the comprehensive reform of the United
Nations (UN) and progress towards attainment of the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs).
South Africa is a current member of the NAM Troika which consists of
current, past and present chairpersons of Malaysia, South Africa and Cuba.
South Africa's tenure as member of the NAM Troika will come to an end should
Egypt's offer to host the summit in 2009 be accepted.
President Mbeki and Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will, upon
conclusion of the NAM Summit, proceed to New York for the 61st session of the
United Nations General Assembly scheduled for Monday � Wednesday, 18 - 20
September 2006.
Contact:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
14 September 2006
