President Thabo Mbeki has expressed confidence that Greece's assumption of the European Union (EU) leadership next year would strengthen relations between the African continent and Europe.

Greece will assume the chairpersonship of the EU for the first semester of the year.

The President was addressing guests at a banquet for visiting Greek President Constantinos Stephanopoulos in Cape Town, yesterday.

"In this regard, I am confident that...we will have the important possibility to give further impetus to the joint actions between Africa and Europe around the questions of the all-round development of Africa and the poverty eradication, as represented for instance, by Nepad, the New Partnership for Africa's Development," President Mbeki said.

He added that it was heartening to learn that the Hellenic Republic would ratify the South Africa-EU Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement (TDCA) before the end of this year.

"We trust that this action will encourage all other EU member states to follow in your footsteps," he said.

President Mbeki said he was looking forward to the Africa-EU Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, next April, which would be chaired by Greece and trusted that the gathering would add to the deepening of the inter-continental partnership.

Earlier yesterday, President Stephanopoulos made an assurance that Greece would try to be instrumental so that the Lisbon Summit gave further impetus to the cooperation between the two sides, bringing about benefits for the whole African continent.

He said Greece and South Africa were linked by their common attitude for their respect of international law and legal order, the inviolability of international borders, the defence of human rights and the implementation of United Nations (UN) resolutions.

President Stephanopoulos' four-day official visit to South Africa, on the invitation of President Mbeki, ends tomorrow - BuaNews.