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President Mbeki, left South Africa today, Tuesday, 16 July, for Denarau, Nadi Fiji, to attend the Third Summit of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States from 18 - 19 July 2002. The President is attending the Summit at the invitation of the Fiji Government. The President's delegation includes Deputy Minister of Finance, Mandisi Mpahlwa.

It is expected that the Third ACP Summit will be attended by all ACP Heads of State and Government under the central theme "ACP Solidarity in a Globalised World". This Summit will be preceded by preparatory meetings of the ACP Council of Foreign Ministers and Ministers responsible for ACP/EU Relations from today, 16 - 17 July 2002.

The 3rd Summit will assess the current position of the ACP Group in the global environment. It will also consider pro-active means of responding to the new challenges of globalisation, political developments affecting the ACP Group of States and poverty alleviation to which NEPAD and the ACP is committed.

Lastly, South Africa's participation at the Summit is important because of its membership of the Steering Committee of NEPAD which was endorsed by the Joint ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly in Cape Town in March 2002.

South Africa's participation in the Third ACP Summit will be an opportunity to further consolidate positions of the South vis-a-vis the forthcoming multilateral negotiations, in particular;

* The forthcoming ACP-EU WTO compatible trade negotiations
* The post Doha process and its impact on the forthcoming ACP-EU trade negotiations
* The World Summit on Sustainable Development
* The Partnership for Africa's Development
* Use of subsidies on agricultural products by the North, especially the EU and the US.

For background information see the web site of the Department of Foreign Affairs; http://www.dfa.gov.za

Enquiries: Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853.

Issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs, 16 July 2002