6 June 2007
South African President Thabo Mbeki will today Wednesday, 6 June 2007,
depart for Heiligendamm, Germany, ahead of the Group of Eight (G8) + 5 Outreach
and African Outreach sessions of the G-8 summit scheduled on Friday, 8 June
2007.
President Mbeki, supported by Ministers Dlamini Zuma and Mandisi Mpahlwa,
will participate in the G8 Outreach sessions within the context of South
Africa's priority to strengthen relations with to the G-8 with a view to
consolidation of the African developmental agenda.
The 2007 G8 Heiligendamm summit will be held under the banner: "Growth and
Responsibility, with a focus on key global challenges: the world economy and
Africa's economic, political and social development."
President Mbeki will also participate in the G8 and leaders of the South
(India, Brazil, South Africa, China and Mexico) with a view to advancing the
developmental agenda of the South.
President Mbeki has said that at the Heiligendamm summit, as was agreed to
at the 2006 Saint Petersburg summit, the G8 and its development partners must
assess the movement in terms of the implementation of the set of agreements
reached between the G8 and the African continent and how to increase and
expedite the implementation of the 2005 Gleneagles commitments.
President Mbeki has also expressed confidence that the matter of climate
change will be given renewed impetus and support at the 2007 summit.
Enquiries
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
6 June 2007
