Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane to pay first Official Visit to Angola

Pretoria- South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will on Friday 15 May 2009 pay her first official visit to Angola since her appointment as Minister. In this regard, Minister Nkoana-Mashabane is expected to hold discussions with her Angolan counterpart as well as pay a courtesy call on President Dos Santos.

The visit to Angola takes place within the context of efforts to consolidate and strengthen the strategic bilateral relations between the two countries. South Africa and Angola enjoy strategic political, economic and trade relations which find expression in the Joint SA-Angola Joint Commission held at Ministerial level. The focus of the Commission is to strengthen and consolidate bilateral political and economic relations between the two countries including the post-war reconstruction and development of Angola.

Relations between the peoples of South Africa and Angola were fashioned during the anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggles, which saw South Africa and Angola's liberation movements - the ANC and MPLA forging an alliance leading to the independence of their respective countries. These relations were transformed into state-to-state relations following the dawn of peace, democracy and justice in South Africa in 1994.

In this regard, and since then, high-level visits between the two countries have taken place at both Presidential and Ministerial levels.

For more information contact Nomfanelo Kota at 082-459-3787

Issued by Department of International Relations and Cooperation
P/Bag X152
Pretoria
14 May 2009