|
Bush whisked to hotel
09/07/2003 09:37 - (SA)
Pretoria - US President George W Bush flew into South Africa's Waterkloof Air Force Base outside Pretoria late on Tuesday on the second leg of a five-nation tour of Africa, an AFP correspondent at the base reported.
Air Force One touched down just before 23:00.
The US leader, accompanied by his wife Laura, Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Walter Kansteiner, arrived from Senegal.
He was met by Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
The president and his aides left immediately for the Sheraton Hotel in Pretoria, about 15km from the air force base, in a convoy of more than 20 vehicles, accompanied by police motorcycle outriders.
Security was heavy at the base, with armed troops patrolling, and roads were blocked off on the route into the city.
In Senegal, Bush said the United States would "participate" with west African states in restoring peace to Liberia, but did not say whether he would send US troops to the country. He visited Goree island, from where hundreds of thousands of shackled Africans were shipped into slavery, briefed west African leaders on his plans to fight Aids and spur economic development, and made a pitch for genetically modified crops.
He is due to hold talks with President Thabo Mbeki on Wednesday morning which are expected to centre on Zimbabwe, terrorism, trade and aid.
He will visit Botswana on Thursday, then go on to Uganda and Nigeria.
Focus on development
Earlier on Tuesday, Mbeki said his talks with Bush should focus on helping southern Africa in terms of its development.
"The co-operation between us and the United States in the context of an agreement that would be reached must focus on assisting this region in terms of its development," Mbeki told SABC news television.
Mbeki said relations between South Africa and the US were good even though the two countries had differed sharply in the past on issues like Iraq and Zimbabwe.
"He (Bush) maintains quite an open door to us, and we have differed on matters. We've differed on Iraq, we differed on other issues, but there has never been any tension as a result of those differences. We talk about them," Mbeki said.
"It's a good relationship. It's not hostile, it's not tense. There is an agreement that each side would take whatever positions it thinks to be correct.
- AFX
|
News
