German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder To Discuss South Africa’s Response to AIDS With President Mbeki
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder plans to discuss South Africa's response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic during a meeting with President Thabo Mbeki this week, a senior German official said on Tuesday, Agence France-Presse reports. Schroeder is expected to arrive in South Africa late Wednesday for the longest leg of his four-nation tour of Africa, which has included stops in Kenya, Ethiopia and Ghana. "In face-to-face talks, the chancellor will undoubtedly ask President Mbeki about his policy on ... HIV/AIDS," the unnamed official said (Cornish, Agence France-Presse, 1/20). In addition, a "high-profile" delegation of officials from the Nelson Mandela Foundation is expected to meet with Schroeder on Thursday, the South African Press Association reports. Dr. Olive Shisana of South Africa's Human Sciences Research Council is scheduled to present information on the threats that HIV/AIDS poses to political and economic stability in Southern Africa. Foundation CEO John Samuel is expected to give a presentation on the importance of the private sector in fighting HIV/AIDS. Mandela is on vacation in Mauritius and will not be attending the session, according to SAPA (South African Press Association, 1/21).
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