Minister Dlamini Zuma arrives in Mali

Bamako - South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma today Sunday 10 December 2006 arrived in Bamako, Mali where she will together with her Malian counterpart, Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane, will 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

10 December 2006