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Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad Leads the
South African Delegation to the First Secretariat Meeting
of SA-US Bilateral Cooperation Forum
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aziz Pahad will
lead the South African delegation to the first Secretariat
Meeting of the SA-US Bilateral Cooperation Forum (BCF)
in Cape Town, today, Wednesday 13 February 2002. The
USA delegation will be led by US Assistant Secretary
of State for African Affairs, Mr Walter Kansteiner and
will include US National Security Council Presidential
Special Advisor on Africa, Dr Jendayi Frazer.
The meeting is a significant milestone in the SA-US
relationship as it testifies to the mutual commitment
of both Governments to working together in a cooperative
and mutually supportive spirit. This high level interaction
also creates a framework for the pursuit of mutual regional
and international priorities.
Further, the Secretariat Meeting will review Committee
progress, discuss and define future parameters for interaction
and cooperation under the BCF umbrella. The focus will
be on streamlining the functioning and increasing the
efficacy of the existing committees, currently nine
in number.
Since the establishment of the bilateral forum, much
progress has been reported by the committees in promoting
US investment in South Africa rapidly expanding bilateral
trade to now more than $7 billion per annum, greater
access for South African products to the US market,
reducing pollution, protecting the environment, managing
waste, improving agricultural practices, empowering
and educating young people, enhancing the skills of
young professionals, combatting crime and terrorism
and building military capacity. Bilateral Extradition
and Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties aimed inter alia
at combating crime, money laundering and drug trafficking,
were negotiated within this framework and ratified in
2001.
For further information, contact Ronnie Mamoepa on
082 990 4853
Issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
13 February 2002
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