Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo will visit the Oriental Republic of Uruguay from 19 to 20 October 1998, during which he will meet with Vice President Hugo Fernandez Faingold, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Rodriguez Pioli, the Minister of Tourism, Luis Mosca and the Minister of Economy and Finance, Benito Stern.
Minister Nzo, who will be on his first visit to Uruguay, will seek to strenghten both political and economic relations between the two countries. Although current levels of trade are modest, Minister Nzo will look at ways of boosting these with particular emphasis on promoting South Africa's iron and steel, chemical products as well as fertiliser and asbestos products, which have attracted significant interest in recent months. Both countries are members of important regional and multilateral organisations which aim to enhance cooperation across a broad front of common interests, especially those which affect the South Atlantic region. In particular, both countries are interested in expanding South-South cooperation in matters relating to trade, the environment, maritime cooperation and tourism.
Minister Nzo, in his capacity as Chairman of the SADC Council of Ministers will also meet with Dr Jorge Enrique Fernandez Reyes, the Director of the Administrative Secretariat of Mercosur, (which consists of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay with Chile and Bolivia as associate members) during his stay in Montevideo. Minister Nzo will use this opportunity to strengthen relations between the two regional groupings.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA 18 OCTOBER 1998