A NEW forum, consisting of the presidency, provincial premiers and the minister for provincial and local government, is to be established and will meet six times a year, President Thabo Mbeki said on Thursday. He said in a speech to the National Council of Provinces that the decision to establish the new forum was taken when he met the provincial premiers and the minister for provincial and local government, Sydney Mufamadi, on October 15. The meeting had decided to strengthen inter-governmental relations, and to give effect to the central constitutional principle of co-operative governance. Mbeki said they had also discussed how the three spheres of government would reinforce their co-operation in the implementation the reconstruction and development programme of action. He added that a permanent forum would be established and it would meet at least six times a year.