|
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
to visit South Africa, Monday - Wednesday, 9 - 11 July Pretoria-Italian
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Massimo D'Alema will pay
an official visit to South Africa from Monday-Wednesday 9-11 July 2007. During
his visit to South Africa Deputy Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema will on Monday
9 July join Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka during the SA-Italian Business
Forum scheduled for Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg at 9h00. The
SA-Italian Business Forum is expected to be attended by business delegation from
SA and Italy led by Business Unity South Africa's Patrice Motsepe and Luca Cordero
di Montezemolo, President of Italy's Confindustria. On Tuesday, Deputy Prime
Minister Massimo D'Alema will hold bilateral political and economic discussions
with his counterpart Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma at
the Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria. The discussions with both Deputy
President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Minister Dlamini Zuma will take place within
the context of South Africa's priority to strengthening political, economic and
trade relations with Italy with a view to ensuring a faster and shared economic
growth. Bilateral discussions between Deputy Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema
and
Minister Dlamini Zuma are expected to focus on: - Review the
status of political, economic and trade relations between SA and Italy.
- Peacemaking
and conflict resolution in Africa with a focus on Somalia and Western Sahara
- Other
matters of mutual concern with specific reference to the UN Security Council issues.
Deputy
Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema is expected to hold further bilateral discussions
with Minister of Defence, Mosiua Lekota, visit Consititutional Hill for discussions
with Justice Pius Langa, lay a wreath at the Italian Military Cementry in Zonderwater,
Cullinan and hold further discussions with Dr. Van Zyl Slabbert, Allister Sparks,
Mathatha Tsedu, Prof. Wiseman Nkuhlu and Barney Mthombothi before visiting Soccer
City for a meeting with Danny Jordaan, the CEO of 2010 World Cup Organising Committee.
BILATERAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS Trade Earlier, this
week speaking in Pretoria, Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa said that
"Our relations with Italy hold significant promise for the growth of economic
relations as well as co-operation in key sectors within the context of South Africa's
priority to strengthen and consolidate economic and trade relations with key countries
in Europe". Italy is among South Africa's ten most important export
markets partners. South African exports to Italy are dominated by precious and
non - ferrous metals; basic iron and steel and ferro alloys, coal and quarried
stone/ granite. Some value added products are increasingly penetrating the
Italian market, including processed and preserved fish and fish products; manufacture
of other general purpose machinery; production; processing and preserving of meat
and meat products, preparation and spinning of textile fibres, fruit and vegetable
crops, market gardening; horticulture; tanning and dressing of leather; pulp;
paper and paperboards, basic chemicals etc. South Africa exported to Italy
goods to the value of R7 510 853.00/ €791 509.82 in 2005 and R 9 379 751.00/
Euro 989 412.37 in 2006 and imported goods to the value of R10 349 030.00/ €
1 091 085.51 in 2005 and R 9 268, 130.00/ €977 126.66. South African figures
exclude gold and certain minerals, thus indicating a negative trade balance for
South Africa. Whereas, Italian figures express total trade indicating a balance
in South Africa's favour. Imported goods South African imports
from Italy consist mainly of machine tools, auto vehicles and components, industrial
machinery, jewellery and telecommunications equipment. TOTAL TRADE BETWEEN
SOUTH AND AFRICA AND ITALY Total trade between South Africa and Italy
amounted to about Euro 3.693 billion, with the positive trade surplus for South
Africa, according to figures supplied by ISTAT (Italian Central Institute of Statistics)
According to the latest statistics available, investments from Italy to South
Africa amounted to € 38 million in 2005. Issued by Mr. Ronnie Mamoepa
on 082 990 4853 Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag x 152
Pretoria
0001 8
July 2007
| 
