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Minister Dlamini Zuma to Co-Chair Second Session of SA-Mali
Joint Commission of Co-operation Washington - South African Foreign Minister
Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will on conclusion of bilateral discussions between
Presidents Mbeki and Bush in Washington proceed to Mali where she will together
with her Malian counterpart, Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane, co-chair the second
session of the South Africa - Mali Joint Commission for Co-operation (SA-Mali
JCC) from Sunday - Monday 10-11 December 2006. The session of JCC will take
place within the context of South Africa's priority to strengthen bilateral political,
economic and trade relations with Mali. Issues on the agenda for discussions
between Ministers Dlamini Zuma and Ouane are expected to include, among others: - The
status of bilateral political and economic relations between South Africa and
Mali;
- Progress in co-operation projects in the fields of Agriculture,
Arts and Culture, Defence, Education, Health, Minerals and Energy, Science and
Technology, Trade and Industry and Transport; and
- Other issues of multilateral
importance including the comprehensive reform of the United Nations and South
Africa's accession to the Non-Permanent Seat on the Security Council 2007-2008.
Bilateral
relations between South Africa and Mali are good, based mainly on the Malian government's
strong support for the African Renaissance initiative and NEPAD as well as its
strong commitment to the promotion of democracy and good governance. Since
the establishment of the Joint Commission in 2000, South Africa has been involved
in several assistance projects in Mali. These projects included the funding of
the Cuban Medical Brigade deployed in the rural areas of Mali, assistance to the
country for its hosting of the 2002 African Cup of Nations Tournament and its
fight against the locust invasion in 2004. Minister Dlamini Zuma is expected
to return to South Africa on Tuesday 12 December 2006. Economic Bilateral
Relations Two major South African gold mining companies, Anglogold and
Randgold, are present in Mali. Anglogold operates three gold mining operations:
Yatela (in the southwest of Mali), Sadiola (near the town of Kayes in the extreme
west of Mali) and Morila (200 km south of Bamako) which it operates jointly with
Randgold. The Malian government holds shares of 20% in Yatela & Morila and
18% in Sadiola. While the trade figures between South Africa and Mali to
a large extent reflect the activities of these two mining companies (i.e. the
exports of machinery and base metals to Mali), South Africa's main import products
from Mali are textiles and textile articles. Eskom Enterprises was successful
in winning the international bid in July 2001 for the hydro-electrical generation
project in Manantali, a joint initiative between the governments of Mali (who
will receive 51% of the output), Senegal (34%) and Mauritania (15%). On
a multilateral economic level, co-operation between South Africa and Mali in the
gold mining industry and particularly with regard to the stabilisation of the
international gold price is being pursued, inter alia within the context of initiatives
such as the African Mining Partnership (AMP). South African exports
to Mali Export values R 445,8 million (2005) R 371,0 million (2004)
R
177,6 million (2003) South African imports from Mali Import
values R 5,8 million (2005) R 8,1 million (2004)
R 6,8 million (2003) Issued
by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853 Department of Foreign Affairs
Private
Bag X152
Pretoria
0001 8 December 2006 | 
