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Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa to chair SADC Ministers on Regional Economic Integration, Sandton Convention Centre
12 August 2008
Johannesburg - South African Minister of Trade and Industry, Mandisi Mpahlwa will on Wednesday, 13 August 2008 chair the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministerial Task Force on Regional Economic Integration scheduled for the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
The Ministerial Meeting on Regional Economic Integration takes place against the background of and is part of preparations for the forthcoming SADC Summit in which South Africa will assume the chairpersonship of the regional organisation for a period of a year, handed over from Zambia.
In this regard, the South African delegation will include, among others, Ministers Trevor Manuel, Lulu Xingwana, Mosibudi Mangena, Naledi Pandor and Manto Tshabalala-Msimang and Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad.
The meeting of the Ministerial Task Force on Regional Integration is being preceded by a Senior SADC officials meeting, which took place from Monday to Tuesday, 10 to 11 August, in which South African Foreign Affairs Director-General, Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba chaired the meeting.
In this regard, the Ministerial Task Force on Regional Integration will discuss, among others:
* consideration of submissions on the terms of reference for the technical working groups on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Customs Union
* launching of the SADC Free Trade Area
* consideration of the Memorandum of Understanding between the SADC Secretariat, Development Bank of South Africa and Deed of Trust
* consideration of records of the July 2008 Trade and Finance Ministerial Meeting held in Lusaka, Zambia; and
* and consideration of the Ministerial Task Force Report to the SADC Summit.
The meeting of the Ministerial Task Force on Regional Integration will be followed by a meeting of the SADC Council of Ministers, which is expected to be chaired by South African Foreign Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, and is scheduled for Thursday to Friday, 14 to 15 August; at the Sandton Convention Centre ahead of the Southern African Development Community Summit scheduled for 16 to 17 August at the Sandton Convention Centre.
Enquiries:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
12 August 2008