South African delegation in SL

As a sequel to discussions which External Affairs Minister Prof G.L. Peiris, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth, Western Australia, in October with International Relations and Co-operation of South Africa Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, a South African delegation is currently on a three day visit to Sri Lanka.

The delegation is led by Head of International Affairs at the African National Congress (ANC) Head Office, former Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of South Africa's National Assembly of Parliament and currently South Africa's Deputy Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim.

The other members of the delegation are Roelf Moyer (who was Defence Minister in the Government of President F.W. de Klerk and Minister of Constitutional Affairs in the Government of President Nelson Mandela), Prof Ivor Jenkins, Adviser to Ebrahim, and Henk Kruger, First Secretary and Official of Ebrahim.

The delegation had an extended discussion with Minister Prof G.L. Peiris, at the ministry on Wednesday. They were joined by South Africa's High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Geoffrey Doidge. The bilateral discussions covered all aspects of development and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, as well as Sri Lanka's relations with South Africa, including trade and investment.

Minister Peiris presided over a roundtable discussion at which the South African delegation had the opportunity of interacting with political personalities, business leaders and key officials yesterday.