MBEKI LEADS DELEGATION TO UNITED STATES

Issued by: Office of the Executive Deputy President T.M. Mbeki

OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DEPUTY PRESIDENT T.M. MBEKI

PRESS STATEMENT

EXECUTIVE DEPUTY PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI LEADS HIGH-POWERED DELEGATION TO THE UNITED STATES

Executive Deputy President Thabo Mbeki departs on Wednesday 17 July 1996 for an extensive ten day visit to the United States of America. He will visit Atlanta, Chicago and Washington.

In Atlanta the Deputy President will be engaged in various activities related to the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games including a meeting with the South African Olympic team, the official opening of the SA Olympic Pavilion and attend the official opening of the Centennial Games.

He is also scheduled to meet with the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOU), Mr Juan Antonio Samaranch, various Heads of States/Governments and will address a business dinner co-hosted by Atlanta based corporate organisations including Coca-Cola, Motown Records, United Technologies, Rothschild Inc, United Parcel Service and Hollis and Company. Deputy President Mbeki will deliver an address on "Investment and Business Related Affairs" at the diner.

The next leg of the Deputy President's visit will be to Washington where he will be joined by a high powered government delegation for the second sitting of the US - SA Bi-National Commission on 22-23 July 1996.

The BNC was established on 1 March 1995 by Deputy President Thabo Mbeki and Vice-President Al Gore. It is an initiative of the two governments aimed at managing and further improving SA/US relations by way of a permanent and formal structure.

The Clinton Administration has only concluded four Commissions of this kind with: South Africa, Russia, Mexico and Egypt. The last meeting of the Commission took place on December 1995 in South Africa.

The BNC has six specialist committees:

• Agriculture Committee (Co-Chair: Min D. Hanekom);
• SA/US Business Development Committee (Co-chair Min A Erwin);
• Conservation, Environment and Water Committee (Co-Chairs: Min P. Jordan, Min K. Asmal);
• Human Resources Development and Education Committee (Co-Chair: Min S. Bengu);
• Science and Technology Committee (Co-Chair: Min B. Ngubane);
• Sustainable Energy Committee (Co-Chair: Min P. Maduna).

After the BNC, Deputy President Mbeki and Vice-President Gore are expected to sign a number of agreements.

Mr Mbeki's other activities in Washington include:

• Bi-lateral meetings with President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore:
• A visit with Vice-President Al Gore to low income housing projects;
• Medunsa Fund-raising dinner where he will present the Nelson Mandela Award for Outstanding Leadership to Vice-President Gore and speak on "BNC and bi-lateral relations between South Africa and the USA";
• Meetings with the Senate Leadership, House International Relations Committee, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Congressional Black Caucus, SADC Heads of Missions and
• A briefing to the media.

Deputy President Mbeki will conclude his visit with a two day trip to Chicago where his activities include:

• A keynote address to the Chicago Stock Exchange;
• meetings with business leaders and
• An address to a business luncheon hosted by the Johnson Publishing Company.

The Deputy President and his delegation will return to South Africa on Saturday 27 July 1996.

Issued by: Ricky Naidoo Deputy Director: Communications

Date: 11 July 1996

Tel: 083 555 5189