Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma to Deliver Budget Vote Speech

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is expected to deliver her Budget Vote Speech at Room E249 in the National Assembly, Cape Town on Thursday 03 June 2004.
Minister Dlamini Zuma's Budget Speech will focus mainly on outlining strategic priorities for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 2004 as agreed to and ratified at the recent Cabinet Lekgotla.
In this regard, Foreign Affairs Strategic Plan recently unveiled in the National Assembly identifies the

Strategic Objectives of the Foreign Ministry as follows:
· Facilitate the reform of the Global System of governance
· Consolidate the African Agenda
· Promote South-South Co-operation
· Enhance Political and Economic Relations
· Facilitate Human Resource Development

In its conduct of international relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to draw inspiration from a commitment to:
· the promotion of human rights
· promotion of democracy
· to justice and international law in the conduct of relations between nations
· to international peace and to internationally agreed upon mechanism for the resolution of conflicts
· to Africa in world affairs
· to economic development through regional and international co-operation in an interdependent world.

"Our challenge over the next ten years is to be a positive force in support of the entrenchment of multilateralism; reshaping of the international trading and financial regimes to support development and the advocacy of global peace" Foreign Affairs Strategic Plan 2004 (see www.dfa.gov.za).

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853

Department of Foreign Affairs

P/Bag X152

Pretoria

0001

2 June 2004