Mbeki to address UN summit

2005-09-14 10:34

Johannesburg - President Thabo Mbeki will join United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and United States president George W Bush in addressing the UN millennium review summit in New York on Wednesday.

Among the other world leaders who would address the summit were its co-chairs, the Prime Minister of Sweden and the President of Gabon, South African foreign affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said in a statement from New York.

Mbeki, accompanied by his wife Zanele, heads the South African delegation, which includes Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, at both the summit and the 60th Session of the UN general assembly this week.

Mamoepa said the summit would be taking stock of progress made in the five years since world leaders adopted the millennium goals to reduce poverty and infant mortality rates and provide universal primary education.

Issues on the agenda

It was expected to adopt a document committing countries to act on development, poverty eradication, peace and security, and human rights.

He said Mbeki would address the International Conference on Financing for Development later on Wednesday at UN headquarters.

Also on the South African delegation's agenda were talks with Annan, Canada's Prime Minister Paul Martin, Mexico's President Vicente Fox Quesada, Portugal's President Jorge Sampaio, and UN high commissioner for refugees Antonio Guterres.

In addition, Mbeki and Dlamini-Zuma would represent South Africa at trilateral talks with Brazil's President Lula da Silva and India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Mamoepa said this would be followed by an African Union peace and security council meeting to discuss the situation in Cote d'Ivoire. South Africa chairs the AU peace and security council.

- SAPA