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Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma to attend AU Foreign
Ministers Meeting Brussels - South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana
Dlamini Zuma will on Wednesday 15 November depart Brussels for Addis Ababa where
she will lead a South African delegation to the Extraordinary Session of the African
Union Executive Council of Foreign Ministers to discuss proposals for the establishment
of the African Union Government, scheduled for Ethiopia from Friday - Saturday
17-18 November 2006.
Minister Dlamini Zuma is in Brussels where she is
currently leading a South African delegation including Minister Lulu Xingwana,
Deputy Minister Derek Hanekom, Foreign Affairs Director-General Dr. Ayanda Ntsaluba
and other senior government officials to the SA-EU Joint Co-operation Council
within the context of efforts aimed at increasing trade and market access with
a view to a faster and shared economic growth in SA. In this context, Minister
Dlamini Zuma also held bilateral discussions with her Belgian counterpart on political,
economic and trade relations.
In Ethiopia, Minister Dlamini Zuma will
attend the AU's Executive Council meeting within the context of SA's commitment
to strengthening the institutions of the African Union. The Extraordinary Ministerial
session of the AU is expected to deliberate on the proposals for the establishment
of an African Union Government. The outcomes of this session will be submitted
to the Summit of Heads of State and Government at its Assembly in January 2007.
The
January 2006 AU Summit mandated the Committee of Seven Heads of State, under the
stewardship of Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, to conduct a Study on an
African Union Government. The Committee was specifically tasked with considering
the need for an African Union Government, its Strategic Policy domain, its implications
in terms of institutions and programmes and finally, to propose a Road Map for
the establishment of an African Union Government. The July 2006 Summit,
decided that the document should be referred to an Extraordinary Ministerial meeting
for further deliberation. Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853 Department
of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001 14 November
2006 | 
