The President's address is expected to highlight the continent's socio-economic recovery plan, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad).
The invitation by the ASEAN to President Mbeki is the first major opportunity to advance South - South cooperation and the strengthening of African-Asian solidarity within the context of Nepad as the programme of the African Union.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) says the presidential delegation, which includes foreign affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, is quite optimistic that the President's address to the summit will create an opportunity 'to dispel the wrongly held view in some quarters that Nepad is a partnership only between Africa and the developed North'.
President Mbeki will thus invite the ASEAN countries to become partners in Nepad, for the mutual benefit of both regions - especially on information communication technology, human resource development, health, agriculture, market access, education and environment.
Cambodia is the current Chair of ASEAN while South Africa's status at the summit will be greatly enhanced as she occupies both the Chair of the AU and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
Malaysia, the incoming Chair of NAM, will take over from South Africa next year.
'This Summit will create a vibrant atmosphere for the two countries as South Africa will pass on the baton to Malaysia in 2003,' DFA says.
President Mbeki's three-day visit to Cambodia will culminate in a visit to the King of Cambodia, His Majesty Norodom Sihanouk -BuaNews.
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