Minister Dlamini Zuma to meet French Counterpart in Paris to prepare for the SA-EU Summit

Pretoria – South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will on Wednesday 11 June 2008 in Paris hold bilateral political and economic discussions with the French Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Kouchner.

Discussions between Minister Dlamini Zuma and Minister Kouchner will take place within the context come within the context of preparations for the forthcoming Inaugural Summit of the SA-EU, scheduled for 25 July in Bordeaux to which President Thabo Mbeki will lead the South African Government delegation.

South Africa’s is one of the few countries which has en established Strategic Partnership with the EU aimed at advancing and strengthening economic relations  between South Africana the EU.

During the recent SA-EU Troika Ministerial meeting in Slovenia earlier this month, Ministers welcomed and discussed areas of cooperation being developed under the Joint SA-EU Action Plan, including peace and security cooperation, environment, science and technology, customs, energy, migration as well as transport. Both sides welcomed the progress made in the existing cooperation and policy dialogues and agreed that new areas for structured dialogues would be formalised during the first SA-EU Summit in Bordeaux on 25 July 2008.

Economic Partnership Agreement

Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to continue negotiations with a view to reaching a mutually beneficial agreement on a final SADC EPA with the most inclusive membership that addresses the concerns expressed by both sides and supports regional integration, including with respect to SADC and SACU. The EU recalled that the Interim EPA provides for the completion of negotiations of the full EPA by the end of 2008. South Africa noted that it was not a party to the Interim EPA and therefore was not bound by this timeline. South Africa further informed the EU of the Addis Ababa Declaration of the African Ministers of Trade and Finance of April 2008.

Implementation of the Joint EU-Africa Strategy

Both sides welcomed the adoption of the Joint EU-Africa Strategy and its first Action Plan at the Second EU-Africa Summit held in Lisbon, Portugal, in December 2007, and looked forward to early progress in the implementation of the Africa-EU Partnerships agreed in Lisbon. The importance of effective and concrete implementation of the Joint Strategy and related Action Plan by all stakeholders, including non-state actors, was highlighted as crucial for a successful and mutually beneficial Strategic Partnership between the two continents. It was urged that all outcomes of the Summit should work towards this end. Strong monitoring, evaluation and review mechanisms of the Action Plan should be established as soon as possible to ensure concrete goal-oriented outcomes aimed at achieving the objectives set out in the Action Plan. Lastly, actions undertaken within the Joint Strategy should complement other international development agenda objectives.

UN Charter Chapter VIII issues

Both sides emphasised the importance of strengthening the relationship between the UN Security Council and regional organisations, in particular the African Union, in terms of Chapter VIII of the UN Charter. The convening of a high-level Security Council meeting on 16 April 2008, under South Africa’s Presidency, to discuss this theme and specific African conflict situations was noted as an important contribution in this regard.

Both sides welcomed the unanimous adoption of Security Council resolution 1809 (2008). The Parties further welcomed the Secretary-General’s proposal to set up within three months an AU-UN panel consisting of distinguished persons to consider in-depth the modalities of how to support such peacekeeping operations, in particular start-up funding, equipment and logistics and to consider in-depth lessons from past and current African Union peacekeeping efforts.

Among other issues on the agenda of discussions between Minister Dlamini Zuma and Minister Kouchner include, amongst others:

• The status of bilateral political, economic and trade relations between the two countries;
• An assessment of French policy towards Africa with a view to securing and strengthening French support for the African Agenda, including the promotion of sustainable social and economic development on the continent;
• The forthcoming G-8 Summit to be hosted by Japan in July 2008;
• The reform of institutions of global governance including the United Nations;
• The World Trade Organisation negotiations and the conclusion of the Doha Development Round;
• The situation in the Middle East; and
• Other international issues.

 Bilateral Economic Relations

Economic relations between South Africa and France are continuously expanding.  France is South Africa’s eighth largest trading partner and an important investor in the South African economy.

Bilateral trade totalled R25 billion in 2007, with the trade balance in France’s favour.  South Africa’s exports were mainly minerals, metals and other commodities while imports from France included machinery, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

The SA-French Business Forum has provided an opportunity for South African and French business people to exchange views on doing business in Africa and to explore possible joint partnerships on the continent.

There are about 160 French companies operating in South Africa, including several French multinationals such as Total, Alcatel, Renault, Lafarge, Danone and Peugeot-Citroen. 

Cooperation under the auspices of ASGISA and JIPSA

France has committed itself to support ASGISA and JIPSA, through envisaged participation in infrastructure development and in human resources training.  The French nuclear company AREVA is currently training South African engineering graduates in project management at post-graduate level.  The French-South African Technological Institute for Electronics (F’SATIE), based at the Tshwane University of Technology and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, will train 167 students over the next two years.  The Ecole Nationale d’Administration, in association with SAMDI, will offer training programmes to senior South African civil servants.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853

Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

10 June 2008