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President Mbeki to participate in the Group of Eight Meeting
in St Petersburg Pretoria - South African President Thabo Mbeki, supported
by Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will participate in the Group of
8 (G-8) Summit in St Petersburg, Russian Federation scheduled from Sunday - Monday,
16-17 July 2006. President Thabo Mbeki, together with the Presidents of India,
Brazil, Mexico, and China have been invited to the G-8 Summit as Strategic Outreach
Partners and will participate in a round table discussion on Monday, 17 July 2006. President
Thabo Mbeki's participation in the G-8 Summit comes within the context of South
Africa's commitment to promote North-South co-operation in support of the African
Agenda through, among others, the G-8. In addition, President Mbeki and the Strategic
Outreach Partners will also hold discussions on the margins of the G-8 Summit
with a view to strengthening South-South co-operation and consolidating the development
agenda of the South. The Chairperson of the African Union President Denis
Sassou Nguesso and Khazakstan in its capacity as Chair of the Commonwealth of
Independent States have also been invited to participate in the Outreach segment
of the Summit.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan
and representatives of the various international organizations including the World
Bank, UNESCO, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Health Organization
and the International Energy Agency are also expected to participate in the 2006
Outreach Meeting. The 2006 G-8 Summit, under Russia's chairpersonship, will
for the first time integrate the African agenda into all G-8 deliberations. In
addition, outcomes of the G-8 Summit will continue to be evaluated for their impact
on the African development agenda and other developing countries. The 2006
G-8 Outreach Segment is expected to look at: - International Energy Security;
- Education; and
- Infectious diseases.
In addition
discussions will also focus on: - International trade; and
- A
presentation on Africa.
President Mbeki is expected to return to South
Africa on Tuesday, 18 July 2006. Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853 Department
of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001 12 July
2006
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