during visit to New York
24 September 2007
New York - President Thabo Mbeki who will lead a high-powered South Africa
(SA) delegation to the 62nd Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly
(UNGA) and the UN Security Council meetings is expected to hold a number of
bilateral discussions with his counterparts during his visit to New York this
week. South Africa is participating in the UN General Assembly for the first
time as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC).
The bilateral discussions of President Mbeki scheduled for Monday and
Tuesday include meetings with French President Nicholas Sarkozy, Portuguese
Prime Minister Jose Socrates, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Serbian
President Boris Tadic, President of Timor Leste Jose Ramos-Horta and President
of the World Bank Robert Zoellick
President Mbeki and Mrs Thabo Mbeki are expected to arrive later today,
Monday 24 September in New York where he will lead a high-powered government
delegation including Ministers Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Trevor Manuel, Marthinus
van Schalkwyk, Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad, Foreign Affairs Director-General
Ayanda Ntsaluba, Titus Mafolo, Mojanku Gumbi and Ambassadors Dumisani Kumalo,
Welile Nhlapo, George Nene and Lungile Pepani to the 62nd Session of the UN
General Assembly and the UN Security Council.
President Mbeki is leading the South African delegation to the UNGA and the
UNSC within the context of its own conviction that the multilateral system of
global governance remains the only hope of addressing current challenges facing
humanity today.
During his visit to New York, President Mbeki will on Tuesday, 25 September
address the UN General Assembly whose focus is on climate change, progress
towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, reform of the UN
system including the Security Council and counter-terrorism.
Later in the day, President Mbeki will address the UN Security Council
meeting hosted by French President Nicholas Sarkozy on 'Peace and Security in
Africa.' Following its unanimous election to the UN Security Council as
non-permanent member, South Africa committed itself to help create synergies
between the UN Security Council and the African - Union (AU) Peace and Security
Council in the prevention of outbreaks of conflict on the continent of
Africa.
Ministerial Bilateral meetings
Minister Dlamini Zuma, who will support President Mbeki during his bilateral
discussions, is also expected on Monday and Tuesday to hold further bilateral
meetings with her counterparts from:
* G5 Outreach Group of the G8 (SA, China, Mexico, Brazil, India)
* Non-aligned Movement on Palestine
* Foreign Minister of Jordan
* Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka
* Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic
* Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Contact: Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082-990-4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
24 September 2007
