Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad to Lead South African Delegation to 6th Session of South Africa - India Joint Ministerial Commission, New Delhi, India Monday, 5 - Tuesday, 6 December 2005.

Tshwane - South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad will lead the South African delegation to the 6th session of the South Africa - India Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) in New Delhi, India scheduled from Monday - Tuesday, 5-6 December 2005.

The 6th session of the JMC will be co-chaired by Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad and his Indian counterpart, Deputy Minister Radijit Rao Singh.

This session of the JMC comes within the context of South Africa's commitment to consolidate relations with countries of the South in order to comprehensively address the developmental challenges of the South in general and Africa in particular.

In this regard, India together with South Africa and Brazil constitute the unique India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) trilateral forum. IBSA represents the consolidation of forces between the three major economic powers on each of their respective continents.

In addition, these three countries have mutual views on fundamental issues impacting on the development of the South - the comprehensive reform of the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations, the current round of which is underway in Hong Kong.

South Africa and India also participated in the Asian-African Summit and the Commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Bandung hosted by Indonesia from 18-24 April 2005. Through the New Africa - Asia Plan of Action, African and Asian Heads of State and Government committed themselves to ensuring that the traditionally strong historical relations between both continents would be translated into stronger more dynamic economic relations that would contribute to the reduction of poverty and underdevelopment on both continents.

The SA-India JMC consists of 11 committees, viz. Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Arts and Culture, Communications, Health, Minerals and Energy, Science and Technology, Sports and Recreation, Trade, Tourism, Transport, Public Service and Administration and Labour.

The JMC will review the work of these 11 committees including matters relating to the work of IBSA, support of the Indian government for the implementation of NEPAD, the implementation of the New Africa - Asia Strategic Plan, the comprehensive reform of the United Nations, the Hong Kong round of the World Trade Organisation talks currently underway, a review of bilateral political and economic relations between both countries, and various other co-operation projects between both countries in the various identified sectors.

Bilateral Economic Relations between India and South Africa (Source DTI)

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853
Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Tshwane
0001
4 December 2005