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President Mbeki to attend Extraordinary SADC Summit Pretoria
- South African President Thabo Mbeki will tomorrow Monday 23 October 2006, lead
a senior South African government delegation to the Extraordinary SADC Summit
on Regional Integration being hosted by South Africa at Gallagher Estate in Midrand,
Gauteng. Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma led the South African
charge to the meeting of the Ministerial Task Force on Regional Integration preceding
the Summit from Saturday - Sunday, 21-22 October 2006. The theme of the
Summit is "Economic Integration of SADC" and it is expected that all
SADC Heads of State and Government will attend. Ministers of Foreign Affairs,
Trade and Industry and Finance of all SADC member states will attend the Summit
and meeting of the Ministerial Task Force. The Extraordinary Summit occurs
within the context of the appointment of a Task Force of Ministers responsible
for Finance, Investment and Economic Development; Trade and Industry and the SADC
Secretariat, to review: - SADC's regional economic integration agenda;
- The milestones for achieving the Free Trade Area and SADC Customs Union;
- Review
progress and propose measures for scaling up implementation of regional integration.
The
Taskforce on Regional Economic Integration will present its report to the Summit
of Heads of State and Government on Monday 23 October 2006. The Summit will
thus focus on the current status of implementation of the Free Trade Area (FTA)
in terms of the main activities required to complete the FTA by 2008 as planned
for in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP). In addition,
the requirements for achieving a SADC Customs Union will also be considered. as
well as macro-economic convergence in the region. The Extraordinary meeting
will also provide Ministers of Foreign Affairs with a SADC mandate regarding the
African Union Government, in preparation for the African Union process on the
matter.
Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853 Department
of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001 22 October
2006
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