Deputy Minister Sue van der Merwe to attend Africa-Nordic Foreign Ministers Meeting, Dakar, 12 – 13 May 2010

International Relations Deputy Minister Sue van der Merwe will on Tuesday, 11 May 2010 depart for Dakar, Senegal where she will attend the 9th Informal Nordic-Africa Foreign Ministers meeting scheduled for 12-13 May 2010.

Deputy Minister van der Merwe will participate in this session of the Nordic-Africa Informal Ministerial meeting within the context of South Africa's priority to promote the African developmental agenda through among others, strategic engagement with countries of the North.

The Nordic-Africa Foreign Ministers Meeting is expected to discuss amongst others:

• Climate Change and Sustainable Development;
• Democracy and Good Governance;
• Interculturality, strengthening factor for relations between Nordic and African countries;
• Peace and Security in Africa
• Welcoming and opening by Prime Minister Ndiaye of Senegal

The Nordic-Africa Foreign Ministers meeting will be attended by Foreign Ministers of South Africa, Benin, Botswana, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

Deputy Minister van der Merwe is scheduled to arrive back in South Africa on 14 May 2010.

For further information please contact Chief Director for Public Diplomacy, Saul Kgomotso Molobi on 082 940 9832.

Issued by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation
Private Bag x152
Pretoria
0001

11 May 2010