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President Mbeki to Attend G8 Summit
in Sea Island, Georgia, USA on 10 June 2004
President Thabo Mbeki, accompanied by the Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, will
attend the G8 summit under the theme -Freedom, Prosperity
and Security-on 10 June 2004, scheduled for the Sea
Island, Georgia, USA.
President Mbeki has been invited together with Presidents
Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria, John Kufour of Ghana,
Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal
and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda to participate in the
Summit by President George Bush, the current Chair of
G8.
This year's Summit discussions with African leaders
are expected to focus among others on: NEPAD; HIV/AIDS,
communicable diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis
and polio, peace and security as well as the private
sector led growth and poverty alleviation.
Over the past few years it has now become customary
for Chairpersons of the G8 to invite African leaders
for a working luncheon discussions with a view to sharing
ideas on advancing the economic revival programme of
the African continent-NEPAD.
This has gone a long way towards strengthening strategic
relations between the African continent and leaders
of the developed world in the form of the G8. In this
regard, successive Chairpersons of the G8 have made
financial obligations towards meeting the objectives
of NEPAD including the adoption of the G8 Africa Action
Plan.
President Bush's invitation to the African leaders
thus underlines the important relationship that the
G8 has with Africa, and reflects the continued commitment
of the G8 Africa Action Plan in support of the NEPAD.
South Africa's delegation to the Summit will include,
South Africa's Ambassador to the United States, Ms Barbara
Masekela.
Developments during G8 Summits since 1995 have been:
BACKGROUND
NEPAD OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED DURING THE 2003 EVIAN
G8 SUMMIT
- The G8 expressed satisfaction with the progress
report made by African leaders on the implementation
of NEPAD.
- African Leaders expressed satisfaction regarding
the report on the G8 Africa Action Plan.
- Agreement between both sides was reached on the
fact that NEPAD is a long-term program of between
15 to 20 years that required ongoing engagement. Therefore
there was agreement as to the need to continue to
strengthen the partnership between Africa and the
developed world by way of a broadened and structured
engagement to include other development partners.
- The G8 leaders supported the joint Africa/G8 Plan
to enhance African capacity to support peace-keeping
operations.
- African leaders welcomed the US announcement of
US$15 billion over 5 years for the treatment of HIV/Aids
in Africa and the Caribbean.
- The EU responded by pledging to spend US$1 billion
per year towards the Global Health Fund.
- The G8 committed to support long term agricultural
sustainability and food security and to respond to
emergency food aid needs of Africa.
- Africa welcomed the announcement of the G8 on water,
while France promised to double their support for
water in Africa.
- The G8 Summit committed support in meeting the MDGs
and the Johannesburg WSSD Plan of Action in this regard.
- Agreement was reached that strong political leadership
was required to address the slow progress in achieving
the goals of the WTO Doha Development Round and the
current deadlock in the Geneva negotiations ahead
of the Cancun Ministerial Conference, particularly
in the area of agricultural subsidies and other destabilising
support measures.
- The G8 leaders recognised the slow progress on the
issue of debt and undertook to provide leadership
to ensure that they met commitments made in this regard
at their Kananaskis Summit last year.
Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853
Department of Foreign Affairs
P/Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
07 June 2004.
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