South Africa elected Chairperson of the Nuclear Suppliers Group

Vienna- South Africa was today, Thursday 12 October 2006 unanimously confirmed as the next Chairperson of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, for the period 2007-2008 at the Consultative meeting of the Group held in Vienna, Austria. SA is represented at the meeting by Ambassador Abdul Minty.

South Africa welcomes the confidence placed in it by the full membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group as a recognition of the country's non-proliferation and disarmament credentials.

The Nuclear Suppliers Group was established in 1975 and is composed of 45 countries across the world considered as suppliers of nuclear items. The objectives of the Nuclear Suppliers Group are to ensure that nuclear transfers of items for peaceful purposes are not diverted to unsafe and unguarded nuclear activities or nuclear weapons.

The Nuclear Suppliers Group, currently chaired by Brazil, inevitably deals with the dual- use items that can be used for either peaceful or non-peaceful purposes.

Consequent to Thursday's decision, the next Annual Plenary meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group will be held in South Africa in the year 2007.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853

Department of Foreign Affairs
P/Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

12 October 2007.