SOUTH African President Thabo Mbeki and six senior ministers will travel to Japan on Sunday for a three-day state visit starting on Monday which will be aimed at boosting trade and bilateral ties. But no agreements are expected to be signed on Mbeki’s first visit as president to South Africa’s largest trading partner in Asia, said Anil Sooklal, the country’s acting director general on Asia said this week. Sooklal said Mbeki also planned to brief Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on the New African Initiative (NAI), the rescue plan drafted by African countries to uplift the continent, on Wednesday. The emphasis on economic issues was underlined by the ministers Mbeki chose to accompany him on the trip: Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin, Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Valli Moosa and Arts and Culture Minister Ben Ngubane. Since establishing full diplomatic relations with Japan in 1992, Japanese foreign direct investment in South Africa has grown to 450 million dollars. Sooklal said Africa amounted to only one percent of Japan’s total foreign trade, and of that 60% belonged to trade with South Africa. – AFP