N Dlamini Zuma: Foreign Affairs Dept Budget Vote 2007/08

29 May 2007

Madame Speaker
President Thabo Mbeki
Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
Members of the Portfolio Committee of Foreign Affairs
Honourable Members
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen:

This year is the 40th Anniversary of the death of Inkosi Albert Luthuli,
South Africa's first Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

In 1961 Inkosi Albert Luthuli spoke of the "golden age of Africa's
independence."

"Could it be that history has delayed her (Africa's) rebirth for a purpose?
The situation confronts her with inescapable challenges, but more importantly
with opportunities for service to herself and mankind�How she sees her destiny
is a more vital and rewarding quest than bemoaning her past with humiliation
and suffering."

Indeed how we see our destiny as Africans is a more vital and rewarding
quest.

Since time immemorial, South Africans have visualised a common destiny for
all Africans. This is evident in our National Anthem that is derived from a
song composed by a school teacher, Enoch Sontonga, in 1897. It subsequently
became a National Anthem of several countries on the continent after their
liberation.

In 1906 Pixley Ka Seme, in his essay 'The Regeneration of Africa' picks up
on the theme of African renewal and African unity. He argues that:

"The African people possess a common fundamental sentiment which is
everywhere manifest, crystallising itself into one common controlling
idea."

His essay would inspire generations to come into mobilising for the cause of
Africa's development.

The idea of a common Africa also preoccupied generations of Africans.

More than 40 years ago, great African leaders like Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana
and Sekou Toure of Guinea, looked into the future and recognised the need that
for Africa to succeed, Africa should unite. The idea that Africans could come
together as a united federation of nations and states led to a new
consciousness of what it means to be truly African.

In the words of Nkrumah,

"We must endeavour to eradicate quickly the forces that have kept us apart.
The best means of doing so is to begin to create a larger and all-embracing
loyalty which will hold Africa together as a united people with one government
and one destiny."

After various meetings on the continent, the Organisation of African Unity
(OAU) was based on the principles of unity and solidarity which sustained the
struggles for liberation throughout the whole continent.

Various initiatives over the years have paved the way towards this moment in
Africa's history where we can 'engineer' our own renaissance. The Lagos Plan of
Action, the Abuja Treaty, the formation of the African Union, the adoption of
the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) initiative - have all been
milestones along the road to unity.

The existence of the Pan African Parliament is already a pointer in the
direction of unity. It brings together African parliamentarians to consider
important questions on the social, economic and political future of the
continent and all its peoples.

The African Human Rights Court is already established. It will eventually be
amalgamated with the African Criminal Court. The Commission on Human and
Peoples Rights is functioning, although it needs more resources. The financial
institutions are still to be established.

There are lots of protocols and common policies which have been adopted. The
declaration of Heads of State to strive for parity between men and women in all
state institutions, academia, and social and civil society structures is
recognition that the continent cannot reach its full potential, unless women
play a central role in all decision-making and development programmes including
poverty eradication.

In this context we are honoured that the next congress of the Pan African
Women's Organisation (PAWO) will take place in South Africa later this year.
The PAWO should be revitalised to become a potent instrument for galvanising
the collective energies of the women.

Honourable Members

Some of the priorities for integration should be on:

* infrastructure, transport, railroad, ICT, energy
* agriculture, to guarantee food security
* water
* human resource development, education, and health
* trade.

We have to make an effort to attract some of the skills back to Africa.

In July this year, the African Union Summit will discuss the feasibility of
an African Union government. This Grand Debate takes place in Accra during the
Golden Jubilee of Ghana's independence. A few weeks ago, in preparation for
this Summit, we were privileged to host the Retreat of Foreign Ministers in
Durban.

We also hope that our Parliament will hold a debate on this matter before
the African Union (AU) Summit.

Whatever the outcome of the debate, the most urgent task is to strengthen
the capacity of the AU and the Regional Economic Communities to implement
existing decisions.

Madame Speaker

The African Union took a decision in January 2006 that South Africa should
host the global Africa-African Diaspora Summit, scheduled for 2008. The
proposed theme of this Summit is: 'Towards the realisation of a United and
Integrated Africa and its Diaspora' and the aim is to produce a shared vision
of sustainable development for both the African continent and the Diaspora.

The Preparatory meetings have already started in South Africa, London and
Brazil. Further meetings will take place in the USA, the Bahamas (Caribbean and
Central America) and Paris (for Europe) and Addis Ababa (for Africa).

The Ministerial Conference will take place in October this year in Durban
followed by a Global Summit of the African Diaspora Heads of State and
Government in 2008. There will be a civil society component as well.

The effort by our country on behalf of the AU is a part of our own
contribution to rekindle the flames of solidarity, inspired by the
establishment of the first black republic in Haiti. As part of our ongoing
engagements with Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the AU and the United Nations
(UN), we will continue to monitor political developments in Haiti.

Madame Speaker

This year is also the 90th birthday of that "giant who strode the globe like
a colossus," Comrade Oliver Reginald Tambo (Nelson Mandela at the funeral of OR
Tambo).

In 1986, in his address to the Non-Aligned Movement in Harare, OR Tambo said
that:

"between our people there exist indissoluble bonds of common purpose born of
the same heritage of suffering under the yoke of apartheid colonialism and
racist oppression."

These indissoluble bonds keep us together in order to:

* best serve the needs of our people and countries we need to work as
one
* use our collective muscle in the interest of all our peoples
* develop African natural resources together
* unite for our collective defence and to implement a shared vision of enduring
peace together.

These bonds should bind us together in the implementation of Nepad. We
therefore welcome the imminent launch of the Pan African Infrastructure
Investment Fund, at the behest of our own President Thabo Mbeki, which will
take place on the margins of the AU Summit in Accra, Ghana, in July this
year.

Madame Speaker

South Africa participated in the 24th France-Africa Summit held in Cannes in
February where discussions were centred on Africa's strategic importance to the
world.

South Africa will participate in the G8 Summit which will take place in
Germany in June both as part of the 5 Outreach partners (and the Chair of the
AU) as well as part of the African Nepad leaders.

Germany's use of its G8 Presidency in 2007 is to continue the fight against
poverty in Africa. Chancellor Angela Merkel's commitment, that the Summit will
examine economic growth, governance, energy and the environment in Africa, is
encouraging. The Summit will also look at partnerships on reforms and economic
growth; promotion of private investments and medical schemes and HIV/AIDS.

Together with other founding Nepad countries and the Chair of AU, we will
take this opportunity to assess how far the Gleneagles commitments of 2005 have
been implemented.

Madame Speaker

The European Union approved a strategy for Africa that will guide its
relationship with the continent for the coming years.

However, this high-level policy process did not evolve through rigorous
consultation with African governments or civil society. We are encouraged that
this major defect is being corrected and consultations with the AU are taking
place so that a joint strategy can emerge. This new strategy will be adopted at
the European Union (EU)-Africa Summit in Lisbon envisaged for later this
year.

We reaffirm our commitment to consolidating bilateral relations with
countries of the North in a manner supportive of the advancement of the
interests and needs of the continent. In this context, on 14 May this year, our
relations with the EU were elevated to a higher level. We have agreed on a Plan
of Action to establish a strategic partnership.

This SA-EU partnership is premised on an expansion of areas of co-operation
guided by the principle of adding value to the existing framework in the Trade,
Development and Co-operation Agreement. It also includes:

* elevation of the dialogue between SA and EU to Summit level with the 1st
Summit envisaged for 2008
* the holding of SA/EU Ministerial Troika meetings twice a year alternating
between our country and the EU � the next of which is planned for October 2007
in this country
* ensuring that the SA/EU strategic partnership is supportive of the EU/Africa
engagement and acts in support of the regional harmonisation and integration of
the entire Continent.

South Africa continues to expand its interests in the North and to exploit
the opportunities that exist for increasing trade and investment links and
nurturing an environment that is more conducive to partnerships, which are to
our mutual benefit.

Madame Speaker

As regards the African Peer Review Mechanism, we look forward to the
forthcoming meeting in Ghana where the final country review report of South
Africa is to be tabled to the African Peer Review Forum of Heads of State.

At the regional level, South Africa is contributing towards the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) Common Agenda especially on matters of
integration. Negotiations on the SADC Customs Union and the future of the South
African Customs Union (SACU) are work in progress.

Madame Speaker

The continent has recently seen elections held in Senegal, Lesotho, Mali and
Nigeria. As we speak today, our President is attending the inauguration of His
Excellency, President Omaru Y'aradua of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which
is historical in that it is the first time that this important African country
sees a transition from one civilian government to another. We therefore
recommit our country to work closely with the Federal Republic of Nigeria as
part of our efforts aimed at the regeneration of our continent.

South Africa continues to contribute toward post-conflict reconstruction and
development in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is our belief that
the road to sustainable development in the DRC depends on national
reconciliation. Only as a united nation will the people of the DRC be able to
deal successfully with the challenges of sustainable development.

The Extraordinary Summit of SADC in Dar-es-Salaam mandated President Thabo
Mbeki to facilitate dialogue between the government and the opposition in
Zimbabwe and report back to the troika on progress. The success of President
Mbeki's facilitation largely depends on the political will of the Zimbabwean
government and opposition political parties to take Zimbabwe out of this
crisis. We call on the international community to support President Mbeki and
SADC in these efforts.

In Sudan, we urge the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
and for the donors to fulfil their commitment. We call for the speedy
implementation of the heavy support package for the AU Mission in Darfur. We
also urge all parties to resolve all outstanding issues around the UN-AU Hybrid
force in order to end the humanitarian crises. The capacity building project
with Southern Sudan is continuing.

South Africa also continues to support peace efforts in Cote d'Ivoire,
stabilisation efforts in Western Sahara as well as strengthening our bilateral
relations with other African countries.

South Africa is still involved with the Comoros in their effort to
consolidate their democracy and deal with post-conflict and development
challenges.

We endorse the Pact on Peace, Security, Stability and Development signed by
leaders of the Great Lakes Region. These countries have resolved to put in
place mechanisms that will not only ensure the peaceful resolution of conflict,
but also look beyond to reconstruction and development.

We equally support the efforts of the UN Peace Building Commission, which
attempts to co-ordinate efforts of the international community in post-conflict
reconstruction in countries emerging from conflict such as in Burundi and
Sierra Leone.

Madame Speaker

Whilst acknowledging the huge responsibility accompanying our two-year
non-permanent seat, we pledged to work with all members of the Security
Council, relevant non-Council members and regional organisations in pursuit of
peace and stability in all regions of the world.

The Security Council is required to act on behalf of the member states in a
manner that is consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the Charter of
the UN. The Charter in Article 24 confers on the Council primary responsibility
for the maintenance of international peace and security.

Furthermore the Charter under Article 39 the Charter determines that action
by the Security Council is reserved for situations where there "is a threat to
peace, a breach of peace or an act of aggression." This was a careful division
of labour allowing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to deal with
matters of international peace and security. The General Assembly is intended
to deal with other matters.

It is worth noting that the balance of forces within this body favours the
P5 which wields the right of veto. It is therefore no co-incidence that some
members of the P5 would have more interest to take issues of importance to them
to the UNSC.

The UN General Assembly is the most representative and democratic organ of
the UN, where each member state participates, guided by the principle of
sovereign equality of states and here the balance of forces does not favour any
member. On the other hand, in the UNSC, some members of the P5 tend to want to
encroach on mandates of other organs that fall under the General Assembly if
they do not get what they want.

Our interventions in the Security Council have been - and will continue to
be - informed by a desire to serve the interests of the African continent and
the developing world in particular; and the global community in general to make
a direct contribution to the work of the UN in the maintenance of international
peace and security.

We are guided in our interventions by the need to respect the mandates of
the respective UN organs and independent multilateral bodies and to uphold
international law, including international humanitarian law.

We have done well so far and, despite enormous challenges ahead, South
Africa stands ready to continue making a case for Africa, the developing world
and for sustainable global peace and security, for the sake of present and
future generations.

South Africa has therefore been particularly active on African issues before
the Council. We have also been instrumental in the adoption of Council
decisions endorsing peace agreements and in the implementation of the
Ouagadougou Agreement in Cote d'Ivoire and assisting Rwanda to secure its
long-standing objective of lifting the arms embargo against it.

South Africa will co-lead a Security Council mission to Sudan and Ethiopia
and participate in its mission to Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana in June 2007. This
will be an opportunity for the Council to assess conditions at first hand and
to hold intensive discussions with the African Union and the parties to the
conflicts in Sudan and Cote d'Ivoire.

During our Presidency of the UN Security Council in March 2007, South Africa
reintroduced the theme of the relationship between the UN and regional
organisations.

We were pleased with the outcome of the debate because, at the conclusion,
the Security Council adopted a Presidential Statement (PRST) that required the
Secretary-General to provide a report, in consultation with the AU, on specific
proposals on how the UNSC could foster closer collaboration and deepen its
partnership with regional organisations, in particular the AU.

In our recent address to the United Nations Security Council during this
debate, we said that South Africa believes that the time has come to look into
ways of strengthening this relationship, in line with the decision of the AU
Summit in January this year.

We also reminded the Council that the Summit of the AU had called upon the
United Nations "to examine, within the context of Chapter VIII of the UN
Charter, the possibility of funding, through assessed contributions,
peacekeeping operations undertaken by the African Union or under its authority
with the consent of the United Nations."

South Africa will therefore continue to pursue this initiative on the
relationship between the UN and regional organisations throughout its tenure of
the Security Council.

Another successful initiative taken during our Presidency was to persuade
the Council to adopt a statement on the role of women in the maintenance of
international peace and security to mark International Women's Day. This was
the first time since the adoption of resolution 1325 in 2000 that the Council
was called upon to take a formal decision related to the situation of women
under armed conflict. The South African statement was also significant in that
it addressed the role of women in a comprehensive manner, recognising that
women are peacemakers, political leaders and business people, rather than just
victims of conflict.

South Africa is the lead nation on Timor-Leste and we are proud that we can
use our membership of the UNSC to help our sister peoples of Timor-Leste in
their journey towards democracy and stability in their country. As part of our
responsibility in this regard we managed to send an observer team to the recent
Presidential elections in Timor-Leste. Our team concurred with the observations
of the rest of the international community that these elections were indeed
free and fair.

In articulating positions on global peace and security we continue to draw
lessons from our Constitution which seeks to promote a culture of human rights
and inculcate democratic principles. We are also guided by a number of
principles enshrined in international law. It is our experience that in certain
instances, we make choices when equally important principles stand against each
other.

Our own national experience has also taught us the value of seeking
negotiated solutions to problems, no matter how intractable they may at first
seem, and of engaging all relevant role players in a dialogue. This thinking
greatly influenced our voting patterns over the past four months at the
UNSC.

Emerging from this brief experience at the UNSC, we think the principles
behind our positions should have been conveyed more robustly from the
outset.

Looking ahead, we will once again be faced with the difficult task of taking
positions on a range of complex challenges facing the Security Council and
explaining those positions to the South African public and an international
audience. These include the proposal by the UN Secretary-General's Envoy to
grant Kosovo "supervised independence" without the consent of Serbia and
another proposal to impose the formation of an international tribunal on
Lebanon to prosecute those suspected of involvement in the assassination of
prominent Lebanese leaders. We are engaging in an exhaustive consultation
process with all relevant parties to ensure that we have the best possible
basis for taking an informed, independent and principled position on these
issues.

With greater vigour we shall reignite the debate on the reform of the United
Nations and all its institutions including the Security Council, and also enter
into strategic alliances with member countries from different regions as a way
of amplifying our voice, that of Africa and the developing countries in the
UN.

The United Nations Human Rights Council

Honourable members will be aware that South Africa was also elected as a
member of the newly established UN Human Rights Council. As founding members of
this multilateral body, we are contributing in shaping the international human
rights agenda.

Our participation at this level is informed by our foreign policy objectives
predicated on the need for developing an agenda responsive to the needs of the
poor, mainstreaming gender issues and the further empowerment of women. An
agenda which affirms the inextricability of economic, social and cultural
rights on the one hand, and civil and political rights on the other.

The Middle East

At the request of the UN, we recently hosted the UN Conference of African
Solidarity with Palestine that was attended by both Palestinian and Israeli
politicians, academics and a range of delegates from governments and civil
society. The conference called for the ending of sanctions against the
Palestinian Authority and the resumption of dialogue between Palestine and
Israel.

Yet in recent weeks, violence has again erupted between Palestinians and
Israelis. We call on both parties to cease hostilities and allow for the
resumption of negotiation processes.

The situation in Lebanon also warrants attention. We call upon the
leadership of Lebanon across divides to come together to reach amicable
solutions to the problems besetting this country.

Madame Speaker

South-South relations

More than fifty years ago African and Asian leaders met in Bandung and
sought greater co-operation and unity. In recent years and in the spirit of
internationalism and solidarity, our two continents, representing over 100
countries, formed the New Africa Asia Strategic Partnership (NAASP).

At the first summit, South Africa was chosen as Co-chair along with
Indonesia. We are currently preparing towards a NAASP Ministerial meeting to be
held early next year in preparation for the Summit to be held in South Africa
in 2009.

To further consolidate South-South relations and in pursuit of sustained
economic development and enhanced co-operation on multilateral issues,
India-Brazil-South Africa, (IBSA) will hold the second IBSA Summit in October
this year.

These initiatives further strengthen south-south co-operation and the noble
objectives of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the G77+China.

South Africa pursues a one China policy like the majority of African
countries. As regards Sino-African relations, we have seen that China-Africa
trade has tripled in five years and that China's resource and energy needs,
among others, have certainly contributed to the economic growth of the African
continent by boosting prices and exports.

We view our relations with China as a very strong historical and strategic
engagement, as was evident in the State Visit of President Hu Jintao earlier
this year. In this year, we are adding more substance to this relationship,
through creating a sustained comprehensive strategy, especially as we celebrate
the first ten years of bilateral diplomatic relations, details of which we
shall announce later.

We need to identify opportunities presented by the rapidly expanding Chinese
economy, examine complementariness of our economies and ensure mutual
benefits.

In this regard, we believe that among other important structures, the Forum
on China-Africa Co-operation in particular should be effectively utilised as a
platform for discussions, alignment and agreements on NEPAD and Africa's
developmental agenda. The November 2006 Beijing Action Plan (2007-2009) should
also serve as a foundation from which the strategic partnership can be further
strengthened.

In an endeavour to actively promote South-South relations, South Africa
remains strongly committed to expanding its bilateral ties with countries in
South America and the Caribbean. In the context of the African agenda, the
constructive outcome of the South America�Africa Conference held in Nigeria in
November 2006 was particularly encouraging.

Iran

The evolving confrontation between the big powers and Iran over its peaceful
use of nuclear energy has escalated in recent months and the matter has
effectively been shifted to the UNSC from the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors.

The most recent report by the Director General of the IAEA of 23 May 2007 to
both the IAEA Board of Governors and the UNSC confirms, as was expected, that
Iran has not suspended its nuclear enrichment related activities and continued
to expand them. The report also notes that the Agency is not able to verify the
non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran.

This would in effect mean that the international community would have no
authoritative and verified information about the precise scale and nature of
Iran's nuclear programme. Thus, with Iran restricting its co-operation, the
Agency concludes in the latest report that "the level of knowledge of certain
aspects of Iran's nuclear activities has deteriorated." If this process
continues, the Agency and the international community will inevitably have
increasingly deteriorating information about that programme.

At every point we have called for dialogue and negotiations and in the
current crisis encourage all parties to spare no effort to seek a comprehensive
and sustainable solution.

South Africa will continue to encourage all the parties concerned to enter
into dialogue and negotiations in order to seek a comprehensive and sustainable
solution.

South Africa and the international community do not wish to see Iran develop
nuclear weapons and also do not wish to see war over Iran's nuclear programme:
it is therefore imperative that the international community rises to this
challenge and, through innovative leadership that sees the bigger picture,
finds an early solution to the growing crisis which could deteriorate sharply
and result in a major catastrophe that would be disastrous for all
concerned.

Just over a week ago, we participated in the first preparatory meeting for
the 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference and called for the
elimination of all nuclear weapons as a major contribution to
non-proliferation. We also insisted, as before, that developing countries,
including South Africa, cannot be denied their right to peaceful nuclear
technology as provided for in the NPT.

Madam Speaker

The challenge for us now is to build a South Africa and an Africa that can
withstand the ravages of time � an Africa for tomorrow � for the youth of today
and for future generations. We need to be able to imagine this great continent
40 years from now.

We need to ask ourselves: what does this mean for the future, for Africa's
future? How do we make this abundance of human capital the possibility of our
own success coupled with our abundance of natural resources which surpasses
those of other continents and will still do so in the future.

A united Africa and Diaspora could best meet the needs of their own people;
hence the importance of current debates. A common bond and not bondage should
bring us together, true to the words of Nkrumah and to our own struggle for
liberation:

"Divided we fall, United we stand!"

Our role in international affairs has been growing and the nature of
international relations is getting more complex. We face the challenge of using
the breakthroughs we have made to turn them into opportunities to help to
address poverty, underdevelopment and unemployment.

A key challenge, as we do so, is that of co-ordination of our international
work. This will assist with international work in all three spheres of
government as well as maximise the impact of our interventions.

Madame Speaker

In order to assist with eradicating poverty and ensuring sustainable
economic development, an important task of the Department of Foreign Affairs is
economic diplomacy. Consequently and necessarily our work in the international
arena has to leverage possibilities to address this challenge.

Over the years we have expanded our missions, giving us the ability to build
strategic partnerships to diversify our trade, to attract foreign direct
investment (FDI) and to facilitate investment opportunities for South African
companies especially on the African continent. These interventions have
contributed to the positive economic environment, which we now enjoy.

An important element of this is the growing importance of our country as a
resource of FDI to our continent. We must never underestimate this contribution
to the project of the African renaissance.

Of course we all have heard the sometimes negative feedback on the conduct
of some of the investors. But let us not lose sight of the fact that the
dominant picture is a positive one. We should sustain these efforts whilst
rectifying any shortcomings. This is critical to our country playing its
historic role as one of the locomotives on our continent.

A second area of growing importance is the growing contribution of economic
activity with other countries of the South to the overall economic profile of
our country.

This diversification results in greater robustness and enhanced ability to
withstand shocks in different areas of the world economy.

In addition to the effort we are putting in our interaction with such major
emerging economies as China, Brazil and India, we are giving greater focus to
the countries of the Middle East, particularly the Gulf Co-operation Council
(GCC), Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan.

This is the context to our government's recent engagement with such
countries as Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. This does not diminish the need for
continued consolidation of growth in our traditional partners in the North,
particularly the EU, US and Japan, which continue to account for a greater part
of our total trade and source of FDI.

We continue to make progress with the opening of Missions. In the last
financial year we have established an additional four diplomatic Missions in
West and Central Africa; Guinea Conakry, Burkina Faso, Chad, Sao Tome and
Principe. We are now hard at work with opening missions in Benin, Guinea Bissau
and Mauritania during this financial year.

We spend a lot on rentals in places where we are literally permanently
represented. Against this backdrop, we have taken a decision to scale up our
acquisitions.

In conclusion, I would like to express my profound gratitude to President
Thabo Mbeki for his leadership and Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and
the Cabinet for their support.

My appreciation also goes to my Cabinet colleagues especially those in the
International Relations Peace and Security (IRPS) Cluster for their support. A
special thanks also goes to the Chair of the Portfolio Committee on Foreign
Affairs, Mr Job Sithole and to the members of this Committee for their guidance
and responsiveness.

May I also take this opportunity to thank Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad and
Deputy Minister Sue van der Merwe for their excellent contributions and for
devoting so much energy, insight and intellect in assisting with creating a
better life for all in our country, continent and world as a whole.

I wish to extend a special word of appreciation to the Director-General (DG)
- Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba, senior management of the Department, our Ambassadors and
High Commissioners who have spent sleepless nights on new tasks and making our
dreams come true.

They have done us proud in advancing South African positions under difficult
circumstances; and as a consequence, our country is regarded as an important
role-player championing the cause of Africa's development, working towards
peace and dialogue and for a more inclusive world.

Madame Speaker

It is our hope and wish that the house will approve our Budget vote for
2007-2008.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
29 May 2007