SOUTH AFRICA: U2 LEAD SINGER BONO AND US TREASURY SECRETARY PAUL O'NEILL MEET PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI

Record ID: 222838

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: U2 LEAD SINGER BONO AND US TREASURY SECRETARY PAUL O'NEILL MEET PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI
  • Date: 25th May 2002
  • Summary: (U6) PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA (MAY 23, 2002) (REUTERS) 1. MV PHOTO-OP PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI SHAKING HANDS WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF TREASURY PAUL O'NEIL/ MBEKI SHAKING HANDS WITH BONO/ SOUTH AFRICAN FINANCE MINISTER TREVOR MANUEL ON EDGE OF SHOT; CUTAWAY OF JOURNALISTS (6 SHOTS) 1.10 2. (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) MANUEL SAYING "The issues that we're talking about here are issues of development on the African continent in the meetings we've had today, the issues of NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa Development), the idea of partnership is a very central part of the focus. Very important in the partnership is clearly the institutions we will need in order to facilitate the partnership. So partnership is about reciprocal commitments, it's about what we do as Africans and what we expect in return and the Secretary is clearly very focused in these kinds of issues." 2.06 3. CUTAWAY OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS LISTENING 2.12 4. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) O'NEILL SAYING "The three of us, and I think hopefully, millions of others share a passion about seeing the world's living standards improve substantially and quickly for people who have been poor for too long." 2.28 5. CUTAWAY MANUEL LISTENING 2.30 6. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) BONO SAYING "I am a fan of Africa, I am fan of South Africa and it's extraordinary just flying over this great continent and I believe it's a continent of the future. I believe it's the twenty-first century is Africa's century. We just don't want to take to the end of the century to get it right." 3.02 7. SLV BONO ADDRESSING THE NEWS CONFERENCE 3.10 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th June 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA
  • Country: South Africa
  • Reuters ID: LVADPUIFKVRE5S4Y7XS05G92YMTN
  • Story Text: U2 lead singer Bono and US Treasury Secretary Paul
    O'Neill, who are on joint four nation Africa tour have met
    President Thabo Mbeki in Pretoria before proceeding to meet
    finance Minister Trevor Manuel to discus a wide range of
    issues including debt relief for developing countries.

    U.S.Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and his famous
    travelling partner from the band, U2, arrived in South Africa
    on Thursday (May 23, 2002) and proceeded to hold talks with
    President Thabo Mbeki before holding discussions with South
    African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel.

    O'Neill signed a memorandum of understanding with Manual
    to jointly combat money laundering. The two governments
    undertook to support the objectives of the New Partnership for
    Africa's Development (NEPAD), which seeks to improve political
    and economic governance throughout Africa, and to create a
    sound climate for productive investment and enterprise.

    "The three of us, and I think hopefully, millions of
    others share a passion about seeing the world's living
    standards improve substantially and quickly for people who
    have been poor for too long,"said O'Neill.

    The 41-year-old Irish pop icon, Bono, whose real name is
    Paul Hewson, and O'Neill started their tour earlier this week
    for an on-site look at how Africa's people are tackling their
    problems.

    Bono's goal is to persuade O'Neill that Africa can and
    does put Western aid to good use.

    "I am a fan of Africa, I am fan of South Africa and it's
    extraordinary just flying over this great continent and I
    believe it's a continent of the future. I believe it's the
    twenty-first century is Africa's century. We just don't want
    to take to the end of the century to get it right," Bono said.

    The idea of a joint trip was hatched a year ago. Bono has
    campaigned for years to focus the attention of rich nations on
    the plight of Africa, and to try and get the Group of Eight
    top industrial countries to provide greater debt relief for
    the world's poorest countries.

    O'Neill and Bono are expected to visit Aids clinics,
    schools and projects sponsored by the World Bank and other
    development agencies in Africa.

    Bono and O'Neill will travel to Uganda and Ethiopia after
    South Africa, where they are also due to spend the night in a
    game park. O'Neill returns to Washington on May 31.


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