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WESTERN CAPE GOVERNMENT SIGNS SISTER-STATE AGREEMENT WITH CALIFORNIA
The Premier of the Western Cape, Gerald Morkel, leads a delegation of Ministers and senior officials to California today to sign a sister-state agreement and discuss matters of mutual interest with the California State Government.
California has the sixth largest economy in the world, worth over one trillion dollars, and is globally renowned for its technological development, and demographic and economic diversity.
The Western Cape and California have much in common, and the province therefore stands to gain considerably from a close relationship with the powerhouse of the western US seaboard. The twinning initiative originally came from the California State Senate.
Seven areas of co-operation have been identified, namely Agriculture, Trade and Investment, Information Technology, Tourism, Education, Public Management and Social Services. The Ministers chiefly responsible for these areas, Markowitz, Malatsi, Zille and Van Rensburg, will accompany the Premier on the 10-day mission.
Premier Morkel believes that the establishment of a co-operative task force, which will meet annually and implement projects of mutual benefit, will stimulate major investment in the Western Cape. Tourism, information technology, agriculture and the fledgling local film industry all stand to gain.
The initiative forms part of the Province's ongoing programme to extend its relations with regions and stakeholders from overseas. The Western Cape currently holds official agreements of co-operation with seven governments: Bavaria, Germany; Upper Austria, Austria; Florida, USA; Tunis, Tunisia; Shandong, People's Republic of China; Madeira, Portugal; Pusan, Korea; and St Petersburg, Russia.
For further information contact:
Inquiries: Christine Joelson, Inter Governmental Relations: Tel: 483 8609.
Or Chris Koole, Office of the Premier: 082 774 3462
Issued by the Office of the Premier, Western Cape, 20 April 2001