Delhi, India
12 July 2007
Pretoria, South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will on
Saturday, 14 July 2007 depart for India, where she will join her counterparts
from India and Brazil for the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Ministerial
Summit scheduled for 14 to 17 July in New Delhi.
Minister Dlamini Zuma will attend the IBSA Ministerial Summit within the
context of South Africa's commitment to consolidating strategic political,
economic and trade relations with Brazil and India within the framework of
advancing South-South relations.
Critical to note is that the Ministerial Summit in New Delhi will be held
with a view to preparations for the IBSA Heads of State and Government Summit
scheduled for October this year in South Africa.
In this regard, the Ministerial Summit in New Delhi is expected to discuss
among others:
* deepening South-South dialogue and co-operation within IBSA
* assessment of achievements/ failures thus far in terms of the broad range of
IBSA co-operation areas in technology, information and skills transfers, social
development, poverty alleviation and job creation
* discussions on the formation of a new Sectoral Working Group within the area
of Revenue Administration
* evaluation of the projects implemented through the IBSA Trust Fund, as well
as to consider new proposals.
In addition, the Ministerial Summit is also expected to evaluate the
progress within the fourteen Working Groups of IBSA that have been formed in
the following areas of sectoral co-operation:
Trade, Information Society, Science and Technology, Transport, Energy,
Health, Tourism, Agriculture, Education, Cultural Issues, Defence, Social
Development, Public Administration, and Climate Change.
Agreements thus far signed under the auspices of IBSA
At the first IBSA Summit which took place in Brasilia, Brazil in September
2006, the following Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding between the three
countries were concluded:
* 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.
Bilateral trade statistics:
South Africa - Brazil (SA Rand)
Year SA exports to SA imports from Total trade
Year: 2003
SA exports: 1 338 188 000
SA imports: 5 343 996 000
Total Trade: 6 682 184 000
Year: 2004
SA exports: 1 562 499 000
SA imports: 6 413 675 000
Total trade: 7 976 174 000
Year: 2005
SA exports: 2 034 310 000
SA imports: 8 341 326 000
Total trade: 10 375 636 000
Year: 2006
SA exports: 2 750 824 000
SA imports: 9 382 777 000
Total trade: -6 631 953 000
South Africa - India (SA Rand)
Year SA exports to SA imports from Total trade
Year: 2003
SA exports: 3 350 322 000
SA imports: 3 126 148 000
Total trade: 6 476 470 000
Year: 2004
SA exports: 3 713 043 000
SA imports: 4 547 261 000
Total trade: 8 260 304 000
Year: 2005
SA exports: 7 393 783 000
SA imports: 7 029 784 000
Total trade: 14,423,567,000
Year: 2006
SA exports: 5 576 312 000
SA imports: 10 960 347 000
Total trade: -5 384 035 000
Period January to December 2006
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
12 July 2007
Source: SAPA
