of her visit
7 September 2007
The Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka rounded off the Rome leg of her
working visit to Italy with a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister Massimo
D'Allema.
The meeting discussed issues of dual concern ranging from the forthcoming
Europe/Africa Summit, the situations in Darfur and the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) and the mediation efforts of President Thabo Mbeki in Zimbabwe.
Italy's assistance in the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition
(Jipsa) was also discussed. Italy has agreed to be one of the countries that
will participate in Jipsa. A task team will be set up comprising Italians and
South Africans to ensure that work on this is done speedily.
On issues of trade, the Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka indicated that the
Minister of Trade and Industry, Mandisi Mpahlwa, would be visiting Italy in
October to follow up with the Italian business on the July visit of Mr D'Allema
in South Africa. Mr D'Allema indicated that while they did not have concrete
figures of the number of businesses that will be doing business in South
Africa, his recent trip was a success and many business-to-business
relationships had been struck.
On Sudan and Darfur, the Deputy Prime Minister, indicated that the Italian
Government was optimistic of a good ending to the catastrophic situation in the
area.
On Iraq, the two countries were in agreement that the situation was best
dealt with through the multilateral route.
The Bilateral relations between South Africa and Italy have grown
significantly over the last number of years. Mr D'Alema's recent visit to South
Africa with a strong focus on economic ties was most productive.
South Africa was also looking forward to the visit of Prime Minister Prodi
in the first quarter of 2008.
In terms of other visits that will also strengthen co-operation between the
two countries are:
* Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Patrizia Sentinelli to visit South
Africa for consultations with the Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad scheduled for 17
and 18 September 2007
* The Italian Minister of Science and Technology for the official inauguration
of the international Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGB) in
Cape Town on 10 September 2007. The ICGB is an international inter-governmental
organisation conceived as a centre for research and training in modern biology
and biotechnology with special regard to the needs of the developing
world.
* The possible visit by Minister Makhenkesi Stofile to attend the 17 October
Bafana Bafana match against Italy in Perugia.
The Deputy President also offered her condolences to the Italian nation for
the loss of one of the greatest artists, Luciano Pavarotti who passed on in the
early hours of Thursday, 6 September 2007.
While in Rome, the Deputy President and her delegation, met with the two
Rome-based United Nation's organisations the Food Agriculture Organisation
(FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Jacque Diouf of the Food Agriculture Organisation, with whom Ms
Mlambo-Ngcuka met, agreed to assist South Africa with the development of One
Municipality, One Product concept in which each municipality will be encouraged
to specialise in producing one product for trade and creation of local economic
opportunities, targeted capacity building in agriculture, facilitation of more
South-South co-operation especially by leveraging access to some of the 3 000
Chinese experts they have access to and to facilitate the deployment of more
South Africans in Multilateral organisations such FAO.
The Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) Josette Sheeran
told the Deputy President that she believed that the world was entering the age
of the African farmer. She assured the Deputy President that with proper
support and capacity building she was confident that the current hunger
situation of Africa could be turned around in two to three generations like it
was done in Europe and Thailand.
The Deputy President is accompanied by the Minister of Housing, Lindiwe
Sisulu and Deputy Minister of Agriculture Dirk Coetzee.
The Deputy President is currently in Lake Como near Milan where she is
addressing the Ambrosetti Foundation Forum.
For more information please contact:
Thabang Chiloane
Cell: +2782 888 8783
Issued by: The Presidency
7 September 2007
Issued by: The Presidency
7 September 2007
Source: SAPA
