South Africa President in Algeria to settle African debts

President of the Republic of South Africa Thabo Mbeki arrived in Algeria on Friday in a friendship and work visit at the invitation of the Algerian President Abdul Aziz Butaflika during which he will preside over his country's delegation to the meetings of the 2nd session of the higher Algerian- South African committee which started on Friday.

President Mbeki is accompanied by a delegation including nine ministers of foreign affairs, defense, mines and energy, trade, industry, agriculture, the environment, tourism, culture, technology as well as heads of 40 establishments of both the private and public sectors.

The committee's work agenda of the committee which is considered a special incident for the development of bilateral relations between Algeria and South Africa includes laying basics for full and complete cooperation in the context of institutional organization, reviewing opportunities of cooperation among all sectors and signing an agreement on investment and another agreement on trade exchange.

In an arrival statement to Algiers on Thursday, the South African foreign minister said that the task of President Mbeki and President Butaflika, as assigned by the Organization of African Unity , is to work for settling the question of debts of the African states, building the African Union and maintaining solidarity among the African countries.