|
Minister Dlamini Zuma to Co-Chair 1st Session of South Africa
Argentina Joint Binational Commission Pretoria - South African Foreign
Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will co-chair, together with her Argentine
counterpart Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship Jorge
Taiana, the inaugural session of the South Africa - Argentina Joint Binational
Commission (BNC) at the Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria scheduled from Tuesday
- Wednesday 27-28 February 2007. Minister Dlamini Zuma will inaugurate the
BNC between South Africa and Argentina within the context of South Africa's commitment
to strengthen and consolidate South-South relations with a view to pushing back
the frontiers of poverty and underdevelopment for the peoples of South Africa
and Argentina. The BNC Agreement with Argentina was signed in September
2005 by Minister Dlamini Zuma and her then Argentine counterpart, Minister Rafael
Bielsa, during a bilateral meeting held on the margins of the September 2005 UN
General Assembly session in New York. This first session of the BNC is
expected to, among others, discuss: - The status of bilateral political
and economic relations between both countries including new areas of co-operation;
-
Developments regarding the African Union and the African developmental agenda;
- Views
on and put South Africa's position on UN reform; reform of the international financial
architecture, including the WTO; and South-South cooperation;
- Regional
developments in Africa and Latin America;
- The status of SA-MERCOSUL relations;
and
- Recent developments on current issues such as the Middle East.
Economic
Bilateral Relations
Argentina, regards South Africa as a strategic
market within the context of its export-driven economic recovery strategy. A
preferential Trade Agreement between Mercosur (consisting of Argentine, Brazil,
Paraguay, Uruguay and more recently, Venezuela) and SACU (South Africa, Botswana,
Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland) was signed at the end of 2004 and it is hoped that
its implementation will contribute to the expansion of trade relations between
the two regions. Negotiations are as yet not completed. In 2005 South Africa's
exports to Argentina reached R498 531 000 in 2005, as against imports of R2 302
583 000 in imports from that country. Exports comprise Bituminous Coal
(briquettes); Chemical products; Newsprint paper; Chromium ores and concentrates;
Synthetic rubber: Polyester yarn: tools for pressing, stamping and punching; kraft
paper and paperboard; flat-rolled products of stainless steel; and imports consist
of Soya bean products (Soya bean oil cakes and solid residues); Wheat and Meslin;
prepared foodstuffs, sunflower seed and oils; motor vehicles for the transport
of goods; automotive components; life animals and animal products. Representatives
for the following departments and bodies are expected to participate in the BNC: - Agriculture
- Civil
Aviation Authority
- Defence
- Environmental Affairs and Tourism
- Minerals
and Energy
- South African Airways
- South African National Parks
- South
African Revenue Services
- Science and Technology
- Sport and Recreation
- Trade
and Industry
- Transport
Media
Programme for 1st Session of South Africa - Argentina Joint Binational Commissioin Issued
by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853 Department of Foreign Affairs
Private
Bag X152
Pretoria
0001 26 February 2007
| 
