Deputy Minister Sue van Der Merwe to Host Polish Counterpart for Political Consultations

Pretoria – South African Foreign Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, will tomorrow Monday, 8 October 2007, hold bilateral discussions on political, economic and trade relations with her counterpart from the Flemish Regional Government in Belgium, Minister for Administrative Affairs, Foreign Policy, Media and Tourism Geert Bourgeois at the Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria. 

 Minister Bourgeois will arrive in South Africa on Saturday, 6 October 2007, and will visit Cape Town and Gauteng.

Minister Dlamini Zuma will hold discussions with her Flemish counterpart within the context of South Africa’s priority to consolidate bilateral political, trade and economic relations with Flanders with a view to consolidate North-South relations.

 Issues on the agenda of discussions between Ministers Dlamini Zuma and Bourgeois at the Presidential Guesthouse on Monday 8 October 2007 are expected to include, among others:

• The status of bilateral political, economic and trade relations between South Africa and Flanders;
• Development co-operation, including possible trilateral co-operation projects;
•   A briefing on developments within SADC and the African Union;  and
•   A briefing on political developments in Flanders and Belgium.

While in South Africa Minister Bourgeois will also hold discussions with Ministers Martinus van Schalkwyk and Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi.

Bilateral Economic Relations

According to South African statistics, Belgium is South Africa’s 6^th largest trading partner and 8^th fastest growing export destination. Of this, Flanders accounts for more than 80% of bilateral economic activity.

Top priority sectors targeted for FDI promotion from Belgium to SA are: chemicals, jewellery, steel, agro-processing and tourism infrastructure. 

Both parties recognise the strategic importance of the diamond sector in their respective economies and the need to further strengthen co-operation in this area.

Development Co-operation

South Africa is considered a priority for Official Development Assistance (ODA), being allocated a substantial portion of the overall ODA budget available to the Flemish Government. The Flemish Government has gradually assumed a leading role and has identified South Africa as a key foreign partner, resulting in co-operation programmes in South Africa amounting to €25 million over a period of 5 years (€5 milllion annually). These projects target mainly the social development sector in South Africa, i.e. health, poverty alleviation and human resource development. 

Over and above this, fifty (50) joint research projects have been launched with Flanders, focusing primarily on improving the capacity of historically disadvantaged institutions to carry and address skills shortage in ICT and communicable diseases.

Assistance from Flanders to three (3) South African Provinces

With the above in view, Flemish Development Co-operation focuses on the three following provinces: KwaZulu Natal (KZN), the Free State and Limpopo. Programmes agreed upon by both Governments are:

• KwaZulu Natal: food security and agricultural development;
•    The Free State: prevention of HIV/ AIDS and job creation;
•   Limpopo: capacity building, creation of employment and increased income through agriculture and agro-tourism. 

The positive achievements in the above-mentioned areas were highlighted during the last meeting of the SA/ Flanders Joint Commission on 24 – 25 April 2007. Appreciation was expressed on behalf of the South African Government for the comprehensive support and assistance programme developed by the Flemish Regional Government in co-operation with the South African Government. These positive results are the fruit of the South African/ Flemish relationship which has matured over the last years on the basis of mutual commitment, understanding and trust towards each other. 

Apart form the areas of food security, youth, health and SMMEs being most important for economic growth in KZN, the Free State and Limpopo, the increasingly huge challenge faced in investment in human capital and other opportunities for co-operation in Education, particularly in Maths and Science, skills development within the framework of the Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA) as well as HIV/AIDS were highlighted and could be explored further. It was stressed that Africa remained the number one priority for South African Foreign Policy, especially the Southern African Development Community (SADC) where South Africa plays a critical role in the integration and streamlining of this important Regional Economic Community (REC) as a building block of integration, thus further possibilities and support to SADC would be welcomed as it would contribute to sustainable economic growth and development.

 Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853

 Media programme for Visit to South Africa by Polish Under-Secretary of State Witold Waszczykowski, nday 8 October 2007

Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

7 October 2007