Pretoria — Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe will host the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau on a one day working visit to South Africa.

Prime Minister Carlos Gomes J£nior, who will arrive in the country on August 25, will be accompanied by Senior Government Officials and representatives from the private sector. The working visit will be held in Cape Town on August 26.

The visit will provide a platform for South Africa and Guinea-Bissau to prepare for the launch of the Joint Bilateral Commission (JBC), which was established through the General Cooperation Agreement signed in August 2008, said the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

"The bilateral engagements will provide South Africa with an opportunity to further reiterate its support for the initiatives of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) in support of Guinea-Bissau," it said.

The visit will also focus on the Review of defense and security cooperation; Review of cooperation in the areas of health and education, including human resource development and capacity building; Promotion of bilateral trade, and investment; Promotion of cooperation in the mining and energy sectors; and Strengthening of cooperation in the field of justice and law enforcement.

BuaNews