Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
MEDIA STATEMENT ON VISIT BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI TO ARGENTINA, BRAZIL AND CHILE FROM 8-16 SEPTEMBER 1997
South Africa's relations with Latin America will receive a boost when Deputy President Mbeki pays his first official visit to Argentina, Brazil and Chile from 8 to 16 September 1997. In Sao Paulo, Brazil, he will explore South-South Cooperation with other world leaders and leading government figures when he addresses the World Economic Forum MERCOSUR Summit. Brazil, Argentina and Chile (associate), as well as Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia (associate), are members of the highly successful MERCOSUR free trade area.
The Deputy President will be accompanied by senior officials from his office, as well as from the Department of Foreign Affairs. In Sao Paulo and for the WEF, the Deputy President will be joined by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Minister Alec Erwin, who will also be leading a prominent South African business delegation to Brazil. Minister Derek Hanekom, the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs will lead the business delegation to Argentina, prior to the visit to Brazil.
The Deputy President has long standing official invitations to visit Argentina, Brazil and Chile and this opportunity will, therefore, be utilised by the Deputy President to not only have high level meetings with the Heads of State of the mentioned countries, but also to familiarise himself with the region.
Currently South Africa maintains diplomatic relations with all the countries in Latin America, with resident diplomatic Missions in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico and Uruguay. The Department of Foreign Affairs is in the process of establishing resident diplomatic Missions in Peru and Venezuela. Ten Latin American countries are represented at ambassadorial level in Pretoria, namely; Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, Peru and Venezuela.
During the last number of years, total bilateral trade with Latin America increased dramatically and the figure for 1996 amounts to approximately R5,7 billion, an increase of 26,67% from 1995. Although already impressive, this figure constitutes a fraction of the available potential of the Latin American market. Of this R5,7 billion, Brazil constitutes R2,3 billion, Argentina R1,4 billion, Chile R4,4 million and Mexico R4 million. Tourists from Latin America for the period 1996 amounted to 13 172.
In Brazil, the Deputy President is scheduled to meet with President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Vice President Marco Antonio de Oliverira Maciel, as well as with the Brazilian Foreign Minister, Ambassador Luiz Felipe Lampreia. This visit should be seen against the background of the burgeoning relationship between Brazil and South Africa since 1994. It follows the official visit by President Cardoso to South Africa in November 1996. Brazil with a population of approximately 160 million and the tenth largest economy in the World, represents a market with great potential for South Africa.
In Argentina, the Deputy President is scheduled to meet with President Carlos Saul Menem, Deputy President Carlos Ruckauf and Foreign Minister Guido Di Tella. President Menem was the first Latin American president to pay an official visit to South Africa, when he visited the country in February 1995. Argentina and South Africa share similar commitments in the international and domestic arenas. Argentina, for example, is a signatory to the Treaty of Tlatelolco and the Mendoza Declaration which relate to the Agreement on the Banning of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Total Ban on Chemical and Bacteriological Weapons, respectively. Argentina has for some time now been following a rigorous privatisation programme and the unbundling of state enterprises coupled with investment and job creation initiatives. In this connection, several of South Africa's National Government Parliamentary Portfolio Committees and Provincial Committees have undertaken study tours to Argentina to glean information and strategies that may be applicable to South Africa with appropriate modifications.
In Chile Mr Mbeki will meet with President Eduardo Frei, as well as with Foreign Minister Jose Miguel Insulza. Chile and South Africa have much in common as far as recent democratic developments are concerned. Chile has recently gone through a process of dramatic economic reform and is currently one of the most stable countries in Latin America. The level of sustained economic growth is evident in the foreign investment attracted by this country. It is interesting to note that South Africa is the third largest foreign investor in Chile by means of mining projects. The way in which the Chilean Government has dealt with human rights abuses inflicted during the military regime, provided the Truth and Reconciliation Committee with invaluable expertise in preparation of the South African reconciliation process. Before the commencement of the activities of the TRC, two conferences comparing and evaluating the process of democratisation in South Africa and Chile were organised and attended by academics, politicians and human rights specialists.
The Deputy President will return to South Africa on Tuesday, 16 September 1997.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA 4 SEPTEMBER 1997