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Indian Prime Minister expected in South Africa on Saturday 30
September 2006. DURBAN- Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh is expected
to land in Durban tomorrow, Saturday 30 September ahead of his first official
visit to South Africa for strategic discussions with President Thabo Mbeki as
well as the centenary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha campaign. Minister
of Foreign Affairs Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, will lead a Ministerial delegation
to receive and welcome Prime Minister Singh at the Durban airport. South
Africa and India are strategic partners and share common views on the need for
the consolidation of the African Agenda and advancing the developmental agenda
of the South. In this regard, the two leaders will meet within the context of
their commitment to consolidate South-South relations for increased market and
trade access, while pushing back the frontiers of poverty and under-development
and reform of Global political and economic governance. The two leaders
are meeting for the third time within a space of three weeks having led their
respective country delegations earlier in September to Brazil for the historic
launch of the India-Brazil-South Africa Summit, the Non-Aligned Movement Summit
held in Havana, Cuba and the 61st Session of the United Nations General Assembly
in New York. In this regard, strategic political and economic discussions between
President Mbeki and Prime Minister Singh, which will be held at the Union Buildings,
Pretoria, are expected to include among others: - Review of bilateral
political, economic and trade relations;
- Consolidation of the outcomes
of the IBSA and NAM Summits with a view to fast-tracking the developmental agenda
of the South;
- Outcomes of the 61st session of the United Nations General
Assembly including the comprehensive reform of the United Nations;
- African
developmental issues including peace and security on the Continent; and
- Other
issues of international relevance.
In Durban, Prime Minister Singh
and President Thabo Mbeki will join in the centenary celebration of Satyagraha,
a non-violent philosophy developed by Mahatma Ghandi against the injustices of
apartheid during his stay in South Africa. The philosophy had a great impact in
the conduct of the struggle against apartheid by the broad South African national
liberation movement. While in Durban, Prime Minister Singh will also visit several
sites in Kwazulu Natal in the context of the centenary celebrations of Satyagraha. In
Johannesburg, Prime Minister Singh will have an opportunity to interact with members
of the South Africa - India CEOs Forum under the chairpersonship of Ratan Tata
and Patrice Motsepe and later visit the Constitution Hill.
Issued by Ronnie
Mamoepa at 082-990-4853 P/Bag X152
Pretoria
0001 29
September 2006.
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