|
Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad arrives in Malaysia ahead of Non
Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting Putrajaya - Deputy Foreign Minister
Aziz Pahad today Friday 26 May 2006 arrived in Putrajaya, Malaysia where he is
scheduled to lead a senior South African government delegation to the Ministerial
meeting of the Co-ordinating Bureau (CoB) of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) scheduled
for Saturday - Tuesday, 27-30 May 2006. Deputy Minister Pahad's participation
at the NAM CoB meeting and visit to China comes within the context of South Africa's
commitment to strengthening political and economic relations between countries
of the South with a view to achieving the developmental agenda of the South in
general, South Africa and Africa in particular. The Ministerial Meeting
of the CoB will primarily prepare for the forthcoming NAM Summit of Heads of State
and Government to be held in Havana, Cuba in September 2006. As a prelude
to this meeting the NAM Troika, of which South Africa is a member, met in January
2006 in Cape Town. The meeting discussed the broad approach that should be followed
by the Movement in preparation for the Ministerial Meeting of the Co-ordinating
Bureau in Putrajaya and the XIV Summit in Havana. Amongst the proposals
made at the Kleinmond meeting was that there should be further brainstorming sessions
to discuss critical issues of methodology and substance before meeting in Putrajaya.
Such discussions took place in New York during April 2006 and guided the subsequent
preparations for the Ministerial Meeting of the CoB. Final negotiations
will be conducted in Putrajaya during Senior Officials meetings on 27 and 28 May
2006. The forthcoming Ministerial Meeting will provide the opportunity for the
Ministers to brainstorm through interactive debate or roundtable discussions on
issues of fundamental concern to the Movement and questions concerning the role,
methodology and methods of work. Apart from the Ministerial Meeting, Deputy
Minister Pahad will attend a meeting of the NAM Committee on Palestine including
the NAM Security Council Caucus, a meeting of the NAM Troika and Former Chairs
and a G77 Ministerial Meeting. Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853 Department
of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001 26 May
2006
| 
