Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
MEDIA STATEMENT ON DEPUTY MINISTER AZIZ PAHAD'S VISIT TO THE GULF REGION
Following his highly successful visit last week to the Gulf Region, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad departed this morning for a six day visit to Jordan, Israel, Palestine and Egypt.
The focus of the Deputy Minister's visit, during which he will be holding meetings with senior officials in all four countries, centres around the upcoming NAM Summit which South Africa will be hosting in late August 1998 - Jordan, Egypt and Palestine are members of the NAM - as well as the faltering Middle East Peace Process and the potential role, if any, which South Africa could play to narrow the differences between the parties.
This follows a number of appeals received from various participants in the Oslo process, to try and assist forward movement in implementation of the Middle East Peace Accords.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA 7 JULY 1998