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12 June 2008

Paris: South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma on Wednesday, 11 June 2008 concluded discussions with her French counterpart Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in Paris, France.

Ministers Dlamini Zuma and Kouchner briefly discussed the French Presidency of the European Union (EU) that starts on 1 July 2008, as well as the referendum in Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty. The ministers also reviewed preparations towards the inaugural South Africa–European Union (SA-EU) Troika Summit to be hosted in Bordeaux, France, on 25 July 2008 to which President Thabo Mbeki will lead the South African Government delegation.

During the recent SA-EU Troika Ministerial meeting in Slovenia earlier this month, ministers welcomed and discussed areas of co-operation that are being developed under the Joint SA-EU Action Plan, including peace and security co-operation, environment, science and technology, customs, energy, migration as well as transport. Both sides welcomed the progress made in the existing co-operation and policy dialogues, and agreed that new areas for structured dialogues would be formalised during the first SA-EU Summit in Bordeaux on 25 July 2008.

Ministers Dlamini Zuma and Bernard Kouchner also reviewed the situation in several areas of Africa including the forthcoming elections in Côte d'Ivoire, the Presidential run-off elections in Zimbabwe, the deployment of the United Nations (UN)–African Union (AU) Hybrid Mission in Darfur, the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan and developments in Chad.

Minister Kouchner also briefed Minister Dlamini Zuma on the Conference on Afghanistan to be hosted by France on Thursday, 12 June 2008 focussing on post conflict reconstruction and development.

Contact:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
12 June 2008