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23 January 2007

Pretoria: South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will on Wednesday, 24 January 2007 depart for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where she will lead a senior South African government delegation to the African Union Executive Council meeting of Foreign Ministers scheduled from Thursday to Friday, 25 to 26 January 2007.

Minister Dlamini Zuma will participate in this meeting within the context of South Africa's priority to consolidate the African agenda through, among others, the strengthening of institutions of the African Union.

Issues on the agenda of discussions are expected to include, among others:

* peace, security and stability on the continent including the situation in Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia-Eritrea, Mauritania, Somalia and Sudan
* Africa – Europe dialogue
* the situation in the Middle East and Palestine.

The Executive Council of Foreign Ministers will deliberate on these and other matters and make recommendations to the AU's Heads of State and Government Summit scheduled for Monday to Tuesday, 29 to 30 January 2007 to which President Mbeki, will lead the South African delegation.

Launch of 2010 African Legacy Project

In line with the general consensus to make the 2010 FIFA World Cup a truly African event, South Africa, Ethiopia and the African Union will be hosting the launch of the 2010 Fifa African Legacy Project at a dinner hosted in honour of FIFA President Sepp Blatter and African Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa.

For further information, please contact:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
23 January 2007