As a sequel to discussions which Minister of External Affairs Professor 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 Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister for International Relations and Co-operation of South Africa, a South African delegation is currently on a 3-day visit to Sri Lanka.
The delegation is led by Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim, 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.
The other members of the delegation are Roelf Moyer (who was Minister of Defence in the Government of President F. W. de Klerk and Minister of Constitutional Affairs in the Government of President Nelson Mandela), Professor Ivor Jenkins, Adviser to Ebrahim, and Henk Kruger, First Secretary and Official of Ebrahim.
The delegation had an extended discussion with Professor Peiris at the Ministry on Wednesday. They were joined by Geoffrey Doidge, South Africa’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka.
The bilateral discussion covered all aspects of development and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, as well as Sri Lanka’s relations with South Africa, including trade and investment.
Later, on Wednesday, 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.
Source: The Island (17 November 2011)
