IBSA summit, Brazil
10 September 2006
South African President Thabo Mbeki, supported by Foreign Minister Dr
Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, will lead a senior South African (SA) delegation to the
inaugural session heads of state/government summit of the historic and
strategic India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum (IBSA) in Brasilia, Brazil
on Wednesday, 13 September 2006.
The IBSA summit of heads of state and government will be preceded by a
meeting of the three respective Foreign Ministers in Brasilia on 12 September,
to which the South Africa delegation will be led by Minister Dr Nkosazana
Dlamini Zuma.
President Mbeki will be joining his Brazilian and Indian counterparts
President Lula da Silva and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at the summit. It
is expected that several other South African Ministers will be part of
President Mbekiâs delegation.
Since its formation in 2003, IBSA has become instrumental in promoting
closer co-ordination on global issues between South Africa, India and Brazil as
three large economies with a distinct cultures, non-racial, democratic yet
developing countries.
This historic summit is the culmination of three Ministerial Trilateral
Joint Commission meetings that have taken place in New Delhi (2004), Cape Town
(2005) and Rio de Janeiro (2006), respectively under the leadership of the
respective Foreign Ministers including Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
The main objectives of the IBSA summit are:
* to deepen South-South dialogue and cooperation within the IBSA
context
* to intensify and enhance co-ordinated positions on issues of international
importance
* to promote the combination of the collective strengths of the three IBSA
countries into complimentary synergies to the benefit of all three
regions
* to further consolidate the three continentsâ Southern regions on all
levels
* to further promote trade and investment opportunities and the development of
new markets
* to take stock of achievements so far in terms of the broad range of IBSA
cooperation areas that would lead to technology, information and skills
transfers, social development, poverty alleviation, job creation etc
* to conclude Trilateral Agreements/Memoranda of Understanding on Transport,
Agriculture, Energy, ICT and Trade Facilitation
* to issue a Joint Declaration between the three IBSA Heads of State/Government
after concluding the Summit.
IBSA Business summit
An important South African business delegation will also participate in an
IBSA Business summit scheduled for Tuesday 12 September 2006.
The Business summit will focus their discussions on:
* an overview of trade and investment opportunities in IBSA countries,
* a Comparative Study of the Investment Climate in IBSA countries
* focus areas: Innovation and Technological Development; Infrastructure;
Energy; Agricultural industry, Transportation; ICT; Banking and Finance.
IBSA Academic Seminar
Prominent South African academics will participate in a parallel IBSA
Academic Seminar on 12 September 2006 during which they will discuss:
* Science/technology/innovation and economic co-operation.
* Public policies and social development.
* Democracy and cultural diversity.
It is expected that a number of South African Ministers will travel to
Brazil to co-sign Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with their
Brazilian and Indian counterparts. These are Trilateral Agreements and
Memoranda of Understanding on:
* renewable energies (bio-fuels)
* trade facilitation for standards, technical regulations and conformity
assessment
* maritime transportation
* co-operation in agriculture and allied fields
* co-operation in the information society
Areas of trilateral co-operation that would receive special prominence
during the IBSA summit discussions are:
* energy
* transport
* climate change
IBSA has a number of sectoral working groups in other areas such as:
Agriculture, culture, defence, education; health, the information society,
science and technology, social development, trade and investment and tourism
while other specialised sectoral working groups are under consideration.
The following IBSA funded projects as part of poverty alleviation and
enhancing South-South cooperation are currently underway via the IBSA Facility
Fund that is administered by the United Nations Development Programmes (UNDPs)
South-South Unit in New York:
* Africa: Guinea-Bissau (development of agriculture and cattle
farming)
* Latin-America: Haiti (collection of solid waste: a tool to reduce violence
and conflicts in Carrefour Feuilles)
* Asia: Laos (the proposed project has not reached implementation stage)
* a project of possible support to the Palestine National Authority is also
under consideration.
Bilateral trade statistics:
South Africa - Brazil (SA Rand)
2003
SA Exports to: 1 338 188 000
SA imports from: 5 343 996 000
Total trade: 6 682 184 000
2004
SA Exports to: 1 562 499 000
SA imports from: 6 413 675 000
Total trade: 7 976 174 000
2005
SA Exports to: 2 034 310 000
SA imports from: 8 341 326 000
Total trade: 10 375 636 000
2006
SA Exports to: 1 228 673 000
SA imports from: 3 984 405 000
Total trade: 5 213 078 000
South Africa - India (SA Rand)
2003
SA Exports to: 3 350 322 000
SA imports from: 3 126 148 000
Total trade: 6 476 470 000
2004
SA Exports to: 3 713 043 000
SA imports from: 4 547 261 000
Total trade: 8 260 304 000
2005
SA Exports to: 7 393 783 000
SA imports from: 7 029 784 000
Total trade: 14 423 567 000
2006
SA Exports to: 2 344 718 000
SA imports from: 3 899 165 000
Total trade: 6 243 883 000
2006: Period January to June 2006
Source: Department of Trade and Industry
Enquiries:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
10 September 2006
