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President Thabo Mbeki to hold Discussions with Sudanese President
and First Vice President in Khartoum and Juba Pretoria - South African President
Thabo Mbeki, supported by Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will pay
a Working Visit to Khartoum and Juba, Sudan from Tuesday - Wednesday 10-11 April
2007 during which he will hold discussions with his Sudanese counterpart President
Omar el-Bashir and First Vice President Salva Kirr. President Mbeki will depart
for Khartoum on Tuesday 10 April 2007. President Mbeki's visit to Sudan
takes place within the context of South Africa's priority to encourage the full
implementation of the AU-UN agreement on the hybrid force for Darfur and the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement between the North and the South. Issues on the agenda of
discussions between Presidents Mbeki and el-Bashir and First Vice President Salva
Kiir are expected to include, among others: - The situation in Darfur
within the context of the implementation of the AU-UN agreement on Darfur;
- The
implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the North and
the South; and
- Post-conflict reconstruction and development in Sudan.
In this regard, South Africa is the chairperson of the AU Committee on Post-Conflict
Reconstruction and Development in Sudan.
President Mbeki is expected
to depart from Sudan on Wednesday 11 April 2007 ahead of his official visit to
France where he is expected to hold discussions with his French counterpart President
Jacques Chirac on Thursday 12 April 2007. Economic Bilateral Relations Trade
figures between South Africa and the Sudan have increased in favour of South Africa.
| Exports: | Amount: | | 2006 | R463
992 000 | | 2005 | R434
453 000 | | | | | Imports: | Amount: | | 2006 | R2
571 000 | | 2005 | R632
000 |
South African exports to Sudan include base metals, machinery,
vehicles, wood pulp, plastics and chemicals. Imports from Sudan include
vegetables, animal fats, plastics and machinery. It is expected that South
African interests will remain centred around sectors where the country has a comparative
advantage, such as electricity supply, infrastructure development (especially
transport), telecommunications, water purification and storage, agriculture and
commercial farming and assistance in terms of financial and related technological
systems. The Sudanese authorities are eager to involve South African parastatals
and private companies in areas of infrastructure development, with a real potential
of more opportunities such as the "Global Railway Engineering Consortium"
contract mentioned above. Sudan is also expected to double its oil production
in the next two to three years, which in turn would lead to the demand for more
infrastructure related to the oil and petroleum industry, as well as transport
in general. Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853 Department
of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001 9 April
2007
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