13 February 2002
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aziz Pahad will lead the South African delegation to the first Secretariat Meeting of the SA-US Bilateral Cooperation Forum (BCF) in Cape Town, today, Wednesday 13 February 2002. The USA delegation will be led by US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Mr Walter Kansteiner and will include US National Security Council Presidential Special Advisor on Africa, Dr Jendayi Frazer.
The meeting is a significant milestone in the SA-US relationship as it testifies to the mutual commitment of both Governments to working together in a co-operative and mutually supportive spirit. This high level interaction also create! mutual regional and international priorities.
Further, the Secretariat Meeting will review Committee progress, discuss and define future parameters for interaction and cooperation under the BCF umbrella. The focus will be on streamlining the functioning and increasing the efficacy of the existing committees, currently nine in number.
Since the establishment of the bilateral forum, much progress has been reported by the committees in promoting US investment in South Africa rapidly expanding bilateral trade to now more than $7 billion per annum, greater access for South African products to the US market, reducing pollution, protecting the environment, managing waste, improving agricultural practices, empowering and educating young people, enhancing the skills of young professionals, combating crime and terrorism and building military capacity. Bilateral Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties aimed inter alia at combating crime, money laundering and drug trafficking, were negotiated within this framework and ratified in 2001.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs