/ 11 October 1999

SWISS MINISTER VISITS

SWISS Foreign Minister Joseph Deiss will visit South Africa from Monday to Wednesday at the invitation of his South African counterpart, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the foreign ministry said on Sunday. Deiss and Dlamini-Zuma will on Tuesday co-chair a meeting of the recently-established South Africa-Swiss joint working group, the ministry said in a statement. The two ministers will also sign a memorandum of understanding which will govern development cooperation between the two countries for four years from January 2000. Swiss development aid to South Africa will continue to focus on democratic government, education and land reform, the ministry said.