Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has arrived in Rome in the Republic of Italy on a working visit scheduled for the 9 to 10 October 2012.
The Deputy President will meet with Prime Minister Mario Monti to review the scope of relations between South Africa and Italy and to identify possible further areas of cooperation.
The Deputy President will also attend the 35th anniversary celebration of the Solidarity Pact between the City of Reggio Emilia and South Africa. On this occasion, there will be an exhibition "Reggio Africa” and an official opening of "Reggio Africa Archive”, which hosts historical documents on Africa and particularly South Africa.
Relations between South Africa and Italy have been strengthened through interaction at bilateral and multilateral levels, specifically within the context of the European Union, the G8, G20, the support for and the implementation of the G8 Africa Action Plan through New Partnership for Africa's Development and the United Nations, principally with regard to peacekeeping missions and humanitarian efforts.
The Deputy President is accompanied by Public Enterprise Minister, Malusi Gigaba.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe arrives in Italy
