at the New York Stock Exchange
25 September 2007
President Thabo Mbeki will on Wednesday, 26 September 2007, pay a historic
visit to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) where he is expected to ring the
bell as part of the tradition in the Stock Exchange to mark the closing of the
day's trading activities.
"The visit to the Stock Exchange is a historic occasion since it will be the
first time in the history of the NYSE that a President of South Africa has ever
rung a bell" says a statement from the New York Stock Exchange.
President Mbeki was invited to the New York Stock Exchange by its Chief
Executive Officer, Mr John Thain as an expression of confidence in the South
African economy. In this regard, a number of South African companies including
Telkom, Sappi, Sasol, Anglo-Gold Ashanti, Goldfields and Harmony Gold Mining
are listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
During his visit to the Stock Exchange, President Mbeki will have an
opportunity to visit the Telkom trading post at the Stock Exchange.
President Thabo Mbeki is in New York where he is leading a high-powered
South African delegation to the 62nd Session of the United Nations General
Assembly and the United Nations Security Council, including Ministers Dr
Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Trevor Manuel, Marthinus van Schalkwyk and Deputy
Minister Aziz Pahad.
South Africa is participating in the United Nations General Assembly and the
United Nations Security Council for the first time as a non-permanent member of
the Security Council and within its conviction that the multilateral system of
global governance remains the only hope for addressing current challenges
facing humanity today.
In this regard, President Mbeki, accompanied by Mrs Zanele Mbeki, is later
today, 25 September, scheduled to join other world leaders in addressing the
General Assembly on the theme "Responding to Climate change" including the
United Nations Security Council to discuss "Peace and Security in Africa"
Furthermore, President Mbeki is expected to hold discussions with Mr Z
Krengel, the Chairperson of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies on the
recording of the oral South African history. This is based on the system used
by the Jewish Board of Deputies in recording the history of the Holocaust.
President Mbeki to Hold Bilateral Discussions with United Nations Secretary
General, on Wednesday, President Mbeki is expected to hold a series of
bilateral discussions including with United Nations Secretary-General Ban
ki-Moon, Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas; Iraqi Prime Minister Kamil
Al-Maliki and Prime Minister of Antiqua and Barbuda, Baldwin Spencer.
Meanwhile Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is scheduled
to hold bilateral discussions and attend a number of meetings as follows:
* meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier
* meeting with Denmark Foreign Minister Dr Per Stig Moller
* meeting Kenyan Foreign Minister Raphael Tuju
* attend the Ministerial Meeting of the P3+2 (United States of America, France,
Belgium, United Kingdom and South Africa) to discuss the situation in the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
* India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Ministerial Forum.
On the other hand Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad is scheduled to attend:
* Breakfast reception hosted by Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Israel Ms Tzipi Livni
* Ministerial meeting of the China-Africa Co-operation Forum.
Enquiries:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
25 September 2007
