SOUTH AFRICA: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with South African President Jacob Zuma

Record ID: 455971

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with South African President Jacob Zuma
  • Date: 9th August 2009
  • Summary: DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA (AUGUST 8, 2009) (REUTERS) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON AND SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA WALKING TOWARDS MEDIA/ZUMA AND CLINTON POSING FOR CAMERAS AND SHAKING HANDS (JOURNALIST ASKING: IS THIS THE START OF A NEW RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE U.S. AND SOUTH AFRICA? IS THIS A NEW ERA?) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA SAYING: "You know we have always had relations with the U.S. What you should be saying is that both countries, they are two new administrations which are taking that relationship a level higher, that is what we are trying to do, I think that's what the new administration ought to do. And, therefore that should not be surprising, and that is why you see the Secretary of State here, in Durban, I'm sure you would appreciate that also, if we have good relations." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON SAYING: "I so appreciate that the time the president has given us this morning in the midst of a busy schedule, to reaffirm the importance of the relationship between our two countries which he and president Obama had a chance to to speak about when they were both in Italy together for the G8. And, we have been tasked by our respective presidents, the foreign minister and I, to put meat on the bones, so to speak, to get to work, to make sure that the expectations of both of President Zuma and President Obama are met, as we work more closely together on our bilateral relationship, as well as on regional and global challenges that we need to be leading on for the betterment of not only both of our nations but the world. " MEDIA/CLINTON AND ZUMA (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON SAYING: "We discussed everything from the president's views on regional issues, from Zimbabwe, to Somalia , to Sudan, to global issues like climate change. We had a broad ranging, very substantive discussion, and I greatly appreciate it. The president sharing with us his advice and suggestions about how we can make progress. We have the same goal for a peaceful, progressive, prosperous continent, starting in southern Africa, of course, but moving north, west and east." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA SAYING: "We also discussed the necessity of the transformation and the forming of the global institutions so that they reflect the global reality of today. That's all, I think that's fine guys (INAUDIBLE)...." ZUMA AND CLINTON LEAVE
  • Embargoed: 24th August 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA4QFIOA6VPNU103HXOCJ09VX52
  • Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with South African President Jacob Zuma to build closer ties with Pretoria after strains under the Bush administration.
    U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with President Zuma on Saturday (August 8) to build closer ties with Pretoria after strains under the Bush administration.
    Clinton, on an 11-day trip to Africa, hopes there will be a burst of goodwill due to the change of government in both South Africa and the United States and that it will lead to better relations with the country than the previous U.S. administration.
    The new South African president said he was also seeking to strengthen the ties between the two countries.
    "Both countries, they are two new administrations which are taking that relationship a level higher, that is what we are trying to do," Zuma told reporters after meeting Clinton for bilateral talks in the coastal city of Durban.
    Clinton told reporters their 'broad ranging, very substantive discussion' included regional issues such as Zimbabwe and Somalia.
    Clinton is urging the new South African government to Zimbabwe to raise the pace of political reform which has been too slow for donors to release substantial amounts of aid.
    The United States, troubled by what it sees as an absence of reform in Zimbabwe, has no plans either to offer major development aid or to lift sanctions against Mugabe and some of his supporters.
    Before sanctions can be lifted or major aid can flow, Washington wants more evidence of political, social and economic reforms by Mugabe and the government he shares with opposition leader and now Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
    The new South African president has taken a harder line on Zimbabwe than his predecessor Thabo Mbeki, but the United States wants more.
    Later on Friday (August 7) , Clinton visited a rural HIV/AIDS treatment centre in Cullinan, east of the capital Pretoria, and met the country's new health minister there. She also met former South African president Nelson Mandela at his foundation in Johannesburg, and was given a tour of his personal archives.
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