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President Thabo Mbeki, accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Nkosozana Dlamini Zuma, is on a working visit to Belgium today, Wednesday, 10 October 2001, at the invitation of Prime Minister of Belgium, Mr Guy Verhofstadt, in his capacity as the current President of the European Union.

President Mbeki will join five other African leaders, namely Presidents Obasanjo, Bouteflika, Wade, Mubarak, and Chiluba as part of the sustained effort to mobilise the entire international community and build strategic partnerships behind MAP.

The New African Initiative (MAP) is a detailed sustainable development programme for the economic and social revival of Africa involving a constructive partnership between Africa and the developed world. It is a pledge by African leaders, based on a common vision and a firm and shared conviction that they have a pressing duty to eradicate poverty and to place their countries, both individually and collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development, and at the same time to participate actively in the world economy and body politic.

The Initiative is anchored on the determination of Africans to extricate themselves and the continent from the malaise of underdevelopment and exclusion in a globalising world. It is a call for a new relationship of partnership between Africa and the international community to overcome the developmental challenges. The partnership is to be founded on a realisation of common interest, benefit and equality.

The OAU Summit in Lusaka, Zambia unanimously endorsed the New African Initiative on 11 July 2001. The New African Initiative was further endorsed by the G8 Summit in Genoa, Italy on 20 July.

The NAI offers a historic opportunity for the advanced countries of the world to enter into a genuine partnership with Africa, based on mutual interests and benefit, shared commitment and binding agreement, under African leadership. In proposing the partnership, Africa recognises that it holds the key to its own development. The adoption of a development strategy, together with a detailed programme of action will mark the beginning of a new phase in the partnership and co-operation between Africa and the developed world, including multilateral organisations.

Recently the President visited Japan where this partnership was further discussed. Japan has also pledged billions of rands to assist Africa bridge the digital divide.

During the visit, President Mbeki will also have a meeting with Prime Minister Verhofstadt to discuss bilateral and other issues of mutual interest, and the President is expected to pay a call on King Albert II of the Belgians.

Contact: Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs, 10 October 2001