President hails loyalty shown by Swedish government

By Ofentse Mokae
11 September 2009

President Jacob Zuma has hailed the depth and commitment of the Swedish government towards Africa.

This follows a meeting that Zuma held with the Swedish Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt earlier today.

In a statement Zuma said, Sweden has shown its commitment to become directly involved in African struggles and causes over the past decades and that’s appreciated.

“The particular attention which Sweden pays to Africa is greatly appreciated, especially the emphasis on poverty reduction, promotion of democracy, trade, the environment as well as peace and security,” Zuma said.

Zuma said the commitment of Sweden was proof of its true friendship with the continent.

He said he hoped the friendship between the two countries would synergise towards a positive outcome and that it would move towards closer cooperation.

The Presidency hosted a dinner in honour of Prime Minister Reinfeldt.

In their early meeting they held talks aimed at strengthening relations

They also were expected to talk about promoting economic relations, with special emphasis on increased Swedish investment and reviewing and improving institutional framework for development cooperation relations

Reinfeldt would have also been briefed on the latest outcomes of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Summit which concluded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Tuesday.

Zuma said he looked forward to the 6th meeting of the Bi-National Commission (BNC) early next year, to be co-chaired by our Deputy President and the Swedish Deputy Prime Minister.

At the end of his address, President Zuma requested the invited guests to stand and toast to the friendship shared by the two countries.