Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane to hold a Bilateral Meeting with Serbia’s Foreign Minister, Mr Vuk Jeremic, on 30 August 2010

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, will host the Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Vuk Jeremic for bilateral meeting on 30 August 2010 in Pretoria. Mr Jeremic arrives in South Africa on Sunday, 29 August 2010.

The meeting follows an agreement reached during a Ministerial bilateral meeting which was held on the margins of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa earlier this year where Minister Nkoana-Mashabane agreed to host the Serbian Foreign Minister, Mr Jeremic in an Official visit.

The visit will present a platform for the two countries to share experiences and lessons learnt from each country and region (SADC/AU and Balkans and Western Balkans) peace, democratisation and development processes.

The visit will also see the two countries reviewing their bilateral relations and strengthening their political, economic and cultural relations and facilitate the identification of priority areas for cooperation in line with the two countries’ national development priorities.

The bilateral meeting will therefore contribute to the strengthening of bilateral political and economic relations between South Africa and Serbia. Topical issues such as the status strengthening of political, economic and cultural relations, draft Agreements on Waiver of Visa on diplomatic and official holders of passport, Avoidance of Double Taxation and a Memorandum of Understanding on Law Enforcement Cooperation, education and skills development; the UNSC issues and Kosovo unilateral declaration of independence and the report of the ICJ are expected will be discussed.

South Africa and Serbia share similar values on many international issues and have supported each other’s candidatures for non-permanent seats at the United Nations Security Council and on the Human Rights Council.  Besides its EU ambitions, Serbia is using all available diplomatic and legal means to continue to fight to preserve the territorial integrity over Kosovo and one priority is the regional relations, including protecting the rights of Serbs in the Balkans.

South Africa and Serbia share similar values on many international issues and have supported each other’s candidatures for non-permanent seats at the United Nations Security Council and on the Human Rights Council.

Several Serbian Ministers have visited South Africa since 2005, including Predrag Bubalo (Economic Affairs) and Vojislav Vukcevic (Diaspora). Minister Vuk Jeremic attended the inauguration of President Zuma in May 2009. No ministerial visits to Serbia by South Africa have taken place as yet.

For more information please contact Chief Director for Public Diplomacy, Saul Kgomotso Molobi, on +27 82 940 1647,+27 12 351 0083 or e-mail him at molobisk@dirco.gov.za

Issued by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation
OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria

26 August 2010

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NOTE TO EDITORS: MEDIA PROGRAMME

Monday, 30 August 2010

09:55              Arrival at OR Tambo Building
                       Photo opportunity

                       Meetings take place in the absence of the media

12:00              Press conference

Members of the media interested in covering the deliberations are requested to send the following details:

• Name and Surname
• ID/Passport Number
• Name of the institution

to Curtis Singo, Assistant Director: Media Liaison, at SingoC@dirco.gov.za or 072 625 7060 for accreditation before the end of business tomorrow, 27 August 2010.