President Thabo Mbeki is to hold bilateral talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on February 1 in the United Kingdom as part of efforts to avert war in Iraq.
South Africa’s Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Mbeki would stress, as he did in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly last year, that multilateralism was the only response to the issue.
”President Mbeki will meet with Prime Minister Blair in the context of worldwide efforts to avert a war with Iraq,” the department said.
United States, backed by Britain, is threatening an attack on the Middle East country over Iraq’s alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction.
UN weapons inspectors are to deliver a much-anticipated report on their search for chemical and biological weapons in Iraq to the UN security council on Monday.
Mbeki appealed, in his weekly letter in the African National Congress’ online newsletter on Friday, for a peaceful resolution to the crisis through the United Nations.
”Our movement (the ANC) is keenly interested that the objective of the destruction of any weapons of mass destruction that Iraq might have should be achieved.
”We are also firmly of the belief that Iraq should respect and implement the decisions of the Security Council, including the latest resolution of the Council (for Iraq to disarm).
”At the same time, we are convinced that these results can, and should, be achieved by peaceful means,” he said.
The statement also said Mbeki would travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from February 2 to 4 to attend an extraordinary heads of state summit of the African Union.
He would be accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
The summit would consider recommendations of the AU council of ministers, chaired by Dlamini-Zuma, regarding proposed amendments to the Constitutive Act of the AU, including Libya’s proposal for the AU to form one country with a single army.
The president is due to return to South Africa on Monday after attending Ivory Coast peace talks in Paris. – Sapa