Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
STATE VISIT OF PRESIDENT HENRY KONAN BEDIE E9 OF THE REPUBLIC OF COTE D'IVOIRE TO SOUTH AFRICA FROM 7 TO 11 SEPTEMBER 1998
The President of the Republic of the Cote d'Ivoire, His Excellency Mr Henri Konan Bedie, will undertake a State Visit to South Africa from 7 to 11 September 1998 at the invitation of President Nelson Mandela.
President Bedie will be accompanied by a senior delegation including, inter alia, the Minister of State responsible for National Solidarity, Mr Laurent Dona Fologo, the Minister of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Amara Essy, the Minister of Mining Resources and Petroleum, Mr Lamine Fadika, and the Minister of Planning and Programme Development, Mr Tidjane Thiam.
President Bedie will be received by President Mandela at Tuynhuys in Cape Town on 8 September 1998 and after a ceremonial welcome, the two Presidents will confer before joining a working session attended by Cabinet Ministers of both countries. It is expected that the talks will centre around recent developments in the African continent, including the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as the necessity of promoting new meaningful South-South partnerships, regarded by the South African Government as a critical element in the achievement of an African Renaissance.
In particular, Presidents Bedie and Mandela are also expected to examine ways in which the warm bilateral relations between the Cote d'Ivoire and South Africa can be further developed to the mutual benefit of the Ivorian and South African peoples. The C F4te d'Ivoire is the third largest economy in sub-saharan Africa and is South Africa's largest trading partner in Francophone West Africa with the trade balance in the Cote d'Ivoire's favour. As both Governments agreed that it is important to promote economic ties between the two countries, negotiations have been initiated on an Agreement on the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments. It is believed by both Governments that the legal framework thus established will favour the growth and diversification of investments between the two countries. President Bedie and President Mandela will accordingly sign a Letter of Intent affirming their desire that the negotiations in the above regard be rapidly finalized.
President Bedie is also expected to meet with a number of key figures in the South African Government including Deputy President Mbeki, and the Minister of Home Affairs, Chief Buthelezi. President Bedie is to address the National Assembly at 14:00 on 8 September.
President Mandela is to confer the Order of Good Hope, Class I : Grand Cross (Gold) on President Bedie in recognition of his valuable contribution to the promotion of peace, stability and economic development in West Africa and Africa generally. President Bedie will in turn confer his country's highest honour, the Grand Cross of the National Order of the Cote d'Ivoire on President Mandela as a tribute to his immense contribution to the establishment of democracy and a culture of human rights in South Africa. President Bedie will also confer on the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr F N Ginwala, the honour of Grand Officer of the National Order of the Cote d'Ivoire, in recognition of her important role in the political development of the new South Africa.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 4 SEPTEMBER 1998 PRETORIA 20