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Deputy Foreign Minister Van der Merwe pays a working visit to Denmark
Pretoria – South African Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sue van der Merwe will on Tuesday 8 July 2008 hold bilateral political, economic and trade discussions with the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Per Stig Moller during her visit to Denmark from Monday to Wednesday 7 – 9 July 2008.
Deputy Foreign Minister Van der Merwe’s visit to Denmark comes within the context of South Africa’s priority to strengthen and consolidate bilateral, political, economic and trade relations with Denmark with a view to advancing north-south relations.
In this regard, discussions between Deputy Minister Van der Merwe and Minister Moller are expected to include, among others:
- Bilateral political and trade relations between South Africa and Denmark;
- Political developments in Africa, including peacekeeping, conflict resolution and post conflict reconstruction and development in, among others Sudan/Darfur, Somalia and the Great Lakes Region;
- To identify and administer projects under the NEPAD umbrella;
- Progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals; and
- Challenges posed by climate change.
South Africa has strong bilateral political and economic relations with Denmark. The latter has always had a very active development cooperation programme with South Africa which was transformed to official assistance from 1995. In the current programme funds are being disbursed in projects ranging from water, energy, education, governance and support to business and HIV/Aids.
During her visit to Denmark, Deputy Minister Van der Merwe will on Tuesday 8 July meet with the Danish Confederation of Industry and the Danish Board for International Development Cooperation. She will also meet with the Foreign Affairs Committee and Foreign Policy Committee on Wednesday 9 July.
Deputy Minister Van der Merwe is scheduled to return to South Africa on Thursday 10 July 2008.
Trade relations between South Africa and Denmark
Trade relations between Denmark and South Africa saw dramatic improvements in 2006 and 2007 with increases in both imports and exports. The following are the trade statistics over the past five years:
YEAR |
EXPORTS |
IMPORTS |
DEFICIT |
2003 |
714 596 000 |
1 258 444 000 |
- 543 848 000 |
2004 |
756 503 000 |
1 144 502 000 |
- 387 999 000 |
2005 |
859 357 000 |
1 217 510 000 |
- 358 153 000 |
2006 |
1 189 131 000 |
1 519 708 000 |
- 330 577 000 |
2007 |
1 380 994 000 |
1 913 391 000 |
- 532 397 000 |
The variety of goods traded, however, could be improved as there are differences in the categories except in a few areas such as wines (exports) and pharmaceuticals and machinery (imports). The top goods in 2007 were:
Exports:
Wine of fresh grapes, including fortified wines, grape R 243 704 000
Oxygen-function amino compounds R 62 347 000
Motor vehicles for the transport of goods R 52 822 000
Imports:
Pharmaceuticals R 286 855 000
Machinery for sorting screening and washing crush R 125 786 000
Enzymes, prepared enzymes R 68 168 000
Owing to good political and trade relations, Denmark should be regarded as a potential growth market.
Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
7 July 2008
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