Pretoria - South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will on Saturday 12 May 2007 depart from South Africa for Brussels, Belgium, where she is expected to lead a senior South African government delegation to the European Union - South Africa Ministerial Troika meeting scheduled for Monday 14 May 2007.

The delegation will also include Minister Mapiswa-Nqakula, Home Affairs, and Minister Van Schalkwyk, Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

This meeting is held within the context of regular political dialogue between the EU and South Africa under the SA-EU Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement (TDCA), and will be the first to fall within a new six-monthly cycle of meetings to be held under the proposed SA-EU Strategic Partnership. One of the key objectives of the meeting will be the adoption of the Joint Action Plan for the implementation of the Strategic Partnership.

Other issues on the agenda of the Ministerial discussions are expected to include:

• African peacekeeping and conflict resolution including the Great Lakes peace process, Côte d'Ivoire, Sudan, Somalia and Zimbabwe;
• The forthcoming European Union - Africa Summit;
• The Middle East Peace Process;
• Migration and climate change issues;
• Developments in Kosovo; and
• Issues related the United Nations Charter Chapter VIII.

Minister Dlamini Zuma is expected to depart from Brussels on Tuesday 15 May 2007 for Beijing, China where she is expected to hold bilateral political and economic discussions with her counterpart on Sunday 20 May 2007.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853

Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

12 May 2007