BuaNews (Tshwane)
Michael Appel
30 September 2007
Pretoria — South Africa plans to strengthen and consolidate bilateral political, economic and trade relations with Sweden at the 5th session of the Bi-National Commission.
Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is set to meet with her Swedish counterpart Deputy Prime Minister Maud Olofsson in Stockholm, Tuesday.
Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka will co-chair the 5th session of the South Africa - Sweden Bi-national Commission (BNC) scheduled from 3 to 4 October 2007.
The BNC will focus on further strengthening and solidifying political and economic ties with Sweden in order to foster increased shared economic growth.
In 2006 South Africa's exports to Sweden amounted to about R3 billion, with imports totalling about R5.8 billion in the same year.
Trade relations between the two countries are growing rapidly with total trade between South Africa and Sweden currently amounting to R10 billion coming off a very low base in 1994.
Accordingly, the Deputy President will use her visit to Sweden to build sustainable relations, particularly in the light of transformation of the development cooperation relations, promote economic relations, with special emphasis on investment, the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (AsgiSA), and the Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA).
AsgiSA aims to halve poverty and unemployment by 2014 and achieve a 6 percent annual economic growth rate by 2010.
JIPSA in turn, aims to assist in achieving these goals by sourcing, creating and securing the skilled workforce needed to fuel the economy.
Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka will also explore enhanced cooperation in Africa, both trilateral cooperation and coordination of activities to promote conflict prevention and resolution and promote post-conflict reconstruction.
The BNC consists of three committees including Political Affairs, Economic Affairs and Social Affairs chaired by the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industry and the National Treasury respectively.
Issues on the agenda of discussions between the Deputy President and her counterpart are expected to include, amongst others, the status of bilateral political, economic and trade relations between both countries; Sweden's support of AsgiSA and JIPSA; a review of developments in Africa including peacekeeping and conflict resolution; and a review of global developments including the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, the comprehensive reform of the United Nations and climate change.
While in Sweden Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka is also expected to hold discussions with SAAB/Gripen International, the Swedish Ministers for Employment, Sven Otto Littorin, and Education and Science, Lars Leijonborg, concerning AsgiSA and Jipsa, African Heads of Mission based in Sweden, Swedish captains of industry, open a South Africa - Sweden Investment Seminar, and present a keynote address at the Swedish Institute for International Affairs.
Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka will also lay a wreath at the grave of Olof Palme, Sweden's Prime Minister who was assassinated on 28 February 1986, and visit the Karolinska University Hospital.
Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka is expected to arrive back in South Africa on Friday 5 October 2007.
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