Item 1418 - President Mandela's trip to Russia, Hungary, Pakistan and China

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ZA COM MR-S-1418

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President Mandela's trip to Russia, Hungary, Pakistan and China

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  • 1999-04-22 (Creation)

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Transcription of speech made by Mr Mandela

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(18 July 1918-5 December 2013)

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Migrated from the Nelson Mandela Speeches Database (Sep-2018).

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  • English

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TRANSCRIPT

President Nelson Mandela, accompanied by Princess Zenani Mandela-Dlamini and Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo, will pay state visits to the Russian Federation, Hungary, Pakistan and the People's Republic of China (PRC) from the 28 April to 7 May 1999.
The state visit to the Russian Federation, at the invitation of President Boris Yeltsin, will take place from 28-30 April 1999. Ministers Alec Erwin and Ben Ngubane, as well as high level business and science and technology delegations, will join the President on the visit to Moscow. This visit will further enhance recent progressive steps in expanding cooperation between South Africa and the Russian Federation and follows on the successful visit by Deputy President Mbeki to Moscow in November 1998.
A Declaration on the Principles of Friendly Relations and Partnership will be signed and a number of bilateral agreements will be concluded. These will include the intergovernmental committee on trade and economic cooperation, cooperation in the fields of minerals, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, cultural affairs as well as agreements between the respective academies of science and the universities of Pretoria and Moscow. The Moscow Academy of Sciences will also make a rare gesture of bestowing an honorary doctorate on President Mandela during the visit.
This will be followed by a visit to Hungary on 3 May 1999, at the invitation of President Arpad Goncz. The President will also meet with Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Minister Ben Ngubane will accompany the delegation on the visit to Budapest and use the opportunity to add impetus to the already high degree of cooperation in the field of science and technology. An agreement on crime prevention will provide a framework for greater cooperation in this area of common concern. An agreement on animal health will also be signed during the visit.
Economic exchanges between the two countries have shown promising signs of growth, these have included significant investments by the South African private sector, particularly in the beer and paper industries. President Mandela will then pay a state visit to Pakistan on 4 May 1999, at the invitation of Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif. South Africa and Pakistan enjoy a strong relationship which has been consolidated by reciprocal visits by Foreign Ministers Alfred Nzo and Gohar Ayub Khan. These visits led to the establishment of a Joint Bilateral Commission at senior officials level, which provides a framework for closer cooperation between the two countries. There has been an encouraging increase in economic exchanges since the establishment of diplomatic relations in April 1994, with two-way trade reaching R 376 million in 1998.
President Mandela will then visit the People's Republic of China (PRC) from May 5 - 7 1999, at the invitation of President Jiang Zemin. The two leaders are expected to discuss the promotion of bilateral trade and investment following the signing of an Agreement on the Economic and Technical Joint Commission between South Africa and China, during the visit of the Vice President of China to South Africa in February 1999. South Africa's trade with China and Hong Kong amounted to more than US$ 3 billion in 1998, making it one of South Africa's most important and dynamic trading partners, despite the negative effects of the Asian financial crisis. There has been a significant increase in investment from China in South Africa, with Chinese companies having invested about R 400 million in the country over the past few years. Similarly, some of South Africa's leading companies have made substantial investments in China through joint ventures, while several South African banks and financial institutions have established a presence in China. A large number of South African companies are also based in the Hong Kong Special Administrative region. President Mandela will also hold discussions with the senior leadership of the country and he will deliver an address to Beijing University, from which he holds an honorary doctorate.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA
22 APRIL 1999

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Acquisition method: Hardcopy ; Source: Nelson Mandela Foundation. Accessioned on 05/02/2010 by Zintle Bambata

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