Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
12 May 2002
President Thabo Mbeki has today, 12 Sunday 12 May 2002, arrived in Molde on the West Coast of Norway to attend the SA-Nordic Summit
The President is accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Dlamini Zuma, Director General in the Office of the President, Reverend Chikane, Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu and Foreign Affairs Deputy Director General Ndumiso Ntshinga.
The Summit will consist of a joint meeting between President Mbeki and Prime Minister Fogh Anders Rasmussen of Denmark, Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen of Finland, Prime Minister David Oddsson of Iceland, Prime Minister Kjell Bondevik of Norway and Prime Minister Goran Persson of Sweden.
Agenda items will include the transition from the Organisation of African Unity to the African Union; an assessment of the progress on NEPAD and Nordic and international support for it; South African - Nordic relations; regional African issues; the World Summit on Sustainable Development etc.
There will then be an opportunity for bilateral discussions between President Mbeki and the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden. These discussions are important as the Nordic countries have much to contribute individually in terms of investment, private sector engagement, technology transfers and financial support.
In June 2000 the first South African - Nordic Summit took place in Skagen, Denmark, which was attended by President Mbeki, the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden and the Foreign Minister of Iceland.
The Skagen Declaration, released during the Summit, supported the new African agenda as promoted by President Mbeki. It was an important step in developing international consensus around the international development goals ahead of the UN Millennium Summit and the need to address Africa's particular needs and challenges.
The Declaration called for a sustained involvement by the international community in a partnership with Africa to address poverty and marginalisation. The issues addressed in the Declaration continue to be NEPAD priorities, e.g. the need to review the global economic system and financial architecture, and issues relating to capital flows, FDI, market access, technology transfers, the digital divide, enhanced debt relief, peace, security and stability, health and education.
The Nordic countries, which have traditionally been reliable partners in support for the African continent, are amongst the foremost donor states currently supporting development efforts on the continent. Following the Summit they provided financial support during the development of the MAP, the merger process culminating in the New African Initiative and the setting up of the NEPAD Secretariat.
The SA-Nordic Summit also takes place in the context of the acceptance of the invitation by Prime Minister Bondevik for President Mbeki to pay an official visit to Norway on Monday 13 May 2002. This will take place in Oslo and will include an audience with His Majesty King Harald V; bilateral political discussions with Prime Minister Bondevik; a meeting with the Vice President of the Norwegian Parliament; an address on NEPAD at the University of Oslo; and a meeting at the UNDP Governance Office.
For further information contact Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853.