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On the invitation of Governor General Adrienne Clarkson of Canada, President and Mrs Thabo Mbeki will pay a State Visit to Canada from Monday to Wednesday, 3 to 5 November 2003.

President Mbeki is expected to be accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma; Trade and Industry, Alec Erwin; Minerals and Energy, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka; and Jeff Radebe as the Acting Minister of Transport.

Canada is a key player in the international arena and is extremely active in international organisations - Commonwealth, United Nations, G8 - and follows a multilateral orientated approach to a number of foreign policy issues. South Africa and Canada often share a like-minded approach to issues such as reform of the United Nations, peacekeeping, disarmament and proliferation of small arms.

Canada has also developed a long-standing and credible partnership with Africa and coordinated the G8 response to the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) in 2002. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien has personally been instrumental in obtaining a positive response from fellow G8 leaders towards NEPAD. Canadian civil society is also active in ensuring that the Canadian government responds to NEPAD in a concrete fashion.

In this regard, the visit is aimed at adding value to South Africa's national interests through the strengthening and consolidation of bilateral relations with Canada in priority areas, including the multilateral sphere.

Canada became the first country to create a fund to support NEPAD and has set aside approximately 500 million Canadian dollars (more than two and a half billion rand) to assist NEPAD projects on the continent. It has also pledged to increase its overseas development assistance as well as scrapping a wide range of tariffs on goods from least developed countries

In this sense, the visit will also provide President Mbeki with an opportunity to offer appreciation to Prime Minister Chrétien for his personal engagement in coordinating the G8's response to NEPAD and popularising NEPAD among the leaders of the developed world before his retirement in 2004.

Discussions between the two leaders will focus on the:

* Consolidation and strengthening of bilateral relations on an official level as well as with civil society
* Promotion of trade and investment
* Promotion of the African Union and NEPAD with the political leadership and civil society in Canada and the consolidation of existing support of NEPAD
* Peacekeeping efforts on the continent and the consolidation of Canadian support for South Africa's role in conflict resolution and peacekeeping
* Common positions and exploration of potential areas of co-operation in the multilateral sphere.

Relations between South Africa and Canada, both on the official level and within the civil society, are very cordial and characterised by healthy and mutually beneficial interactions in many spheres. Contact and cooperation exist between nearly all South African government departments and their Canadian counterparts.

The most beneficial areas of interaction are Canada's extensive involvement in the field of development cooperation in South Africa and the steady growth of bilateral trade and of Canadian investment in South Africa.

Canada is extensively involved in the field of development cooperation. Its technical assistance programme is aimed at fostering social upliftment, policy development and training programmes and amounts to approximately 60 million Canadian dollars (300 million rand) for the period 1999 to 2004.

Another focus area is good governance and education in the South African provinces through a twinning programme that links six Canadian provinces to six South African provinces.

Recently Canada has devised a new Country Programme Development Framework for South Africa. This unique document has as its aim to achieve optimal utilisation of Canadian development assistance.

Bilateral trade is on an upward curve and in 2002 totalled more than four billion rand per annum, slightly tilted in Canada's favour. Bilateral trade during 2001 was R3,07 billion. Mining remains the mainstay of the economic relationship between the two countries. Well over fifty percent of bilateral trade is closely linked to the mineral sector.

Exports to South Africa in 2002 amounted to R2,42 billion and consisted mainly of cereals, sulphur, machinery, pulp and paper. Imports from South Africa for the same period amounted to R1,77 billion and consisted mainly of ferro-alloys, platinum, aluminium, other minerals and food products.

Canada also granted South Africa the benefit of its General Preferential Tariff. Canada's new Africa Trade Strategy, implemented in 2000, is designed to increase Africa-Canada business opportunities and partnerships. The strategy is closely linked to longer-term strategic goals of Canadian foreign policy aimed at helping Africa to reduce poverty levels and integrate into the global economy.

Canadian investment is increasing steadily. A number of mining houses have invested in South Africa, with Placer Dome with an investment of R3,7 billion in gold mining, the most important. More than 78 Canadian companies, including the largest producer of French fries in the world, McCain Foods, have made direct investments in South Africa. Mining and agro-processing and information technology is likely areas for investment in the future.

Contact: Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853.

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs

28 October 2003