Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa to chair SADC Ministers on Regional Economic Integration, Wednesday, 13 August Sandton Convention Centre

Johannesburg- South African Minister of Trade and Industry, Mandisi Mpahlwa will on Wednesday 13 August 2008 chair the SADC Ministerial Task Force on Regional Economic Integration scheduled for the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

The Ministerial Meeting on Regional Economic Integration takes place against the background of and is part of preparations for the forthcoming SADC Summit in which South Africa will assume the chairpersonship of the regional organisation for a period of a year, handed over from Zambia.

In this regard, the South African delegation will include among others Ministers Trevor Manuel, Lulu Xingwana, Mosibudi Mangena, Naledi Pandor and Manto Tshabalala-Msimang and Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad

The meeting of the Ministerial Task Force on Regional Integration is being preceded by a Senior SADC officials meeting which took place from Monday-Tuesday 10-11 August, in which South African Foreign Affairs Director-General, Dr. Ayanda Ntsaluba chaired the meeting.

In this regard, the Ministerial Task Force on Regional Integration will discuss among others:

• Consideration of submissions on the terms of reference for the technical working groups on the SADC Customs Union
• Launching of the SADC Free Trade Area
• Consideration of the Memorandum of Understanding between the SADC Secretariat, DBSA and Deed of Trust
• Consideration of Records of the July 2008 Trade and Finance Ministerial Meeting held in Lusaka, Zambia.
• And consideration of the Ministerial Task Force Report to the SADC Summit

The meeting of the Ministerial Task Force on Regional Integration will be followed by a meeting of the SADC Council of Ministers, which is expected to be chaired by South African Foreign Minister, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and is scheduled for Thursday-Friday 14-15 August at the Sandton Convention Centre ahead of the SADC Summit scheduled for 16-17 August at the Sandton Convention Centre.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853

Department of Foreign Affairs
P/Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

12 August 2008.