STATEMENT ON MBEKI'S VISIT TO THE UNITED NATIONS

STATEMENT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ON PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI'S VISIT TO THE UNITED NATIONS

President Thabo Mbeki will address the UN Millennium Summit in New York on Thursday 7 September on the theme-the Role of the UN in the 21st Century. The President and his entourage arrived in New York from Sweden on Tuesday 5 September.

President Mbeki is accompanied by Mrs. Mbeki, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Directors-General Frank Chikane and Sipho Pityana, Legal Advisor Adv. Mojanku Gumbi and Titus Mafolo, the Political Advisor.

President Mbeki on Wednesday met with United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan to review the conflict situations in Angola, Burundi and the DRC with a view to expediting peace among warring parties.

In addition, President Mbeki met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and will meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Thursday 7 September, following a request from both leaders for President Mbeki, in his capacity as Chairperson of the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) to intervene and help resolve the issue of Jerusalem.

The President will also hold bilateral discussions with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on Thursday 7 September before attending a meeting with Presidents Abdel Aziz Bouteflika and Olesugun Obasanjo hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori as a follow up of the recent G8 Summit held in Okanawa; Japan.

The President will conclude the day by addressing a dinner hosted in his honour by the Foreign Policy Association where he is expected to deliver a paper on South African realities within the context of "Managing Globalisation and the New Economy".

The President will conclude his visit to the UN on Friday 8 September by attending a breakfast meeting hosted by Chinese President Jiang Zemin where he is expected to respond to the Chinese President's remarks on "Challenges of the Developing World". In addition, the President will hold tripartite discussions with President Olesugun Obasanjo and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

The President and his entourage will depart New York for South Africa on Saturday 9 September.

For more information contact Ronnie Mamoepa at 091-917-567-4601

Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
c/o South African Permanent Mission to the UN
New York
USA.

6 September 2000.