Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma to Receive Highest Russian Award

Moscow - South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will today Monday, 11 July 2005 be honoured with the highest national order that the Russian Federation can bestow - The Order of Peter the Great: First Class.

Minister Dlamini Zuma will receive the Peter the Great Order, "for outstanding achievements in her endevours to strengthen the security, peace and friendship between the peoples of Russia and South Africa and widening mutually beneficial co-operation between the two sovereign states and for her personal input to the development of bilateral relations between Russia and South Africa." (citation)

Minister Dlamini Zuma is the second person to be honoured with the honour of Peter the Great after Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Peter the Great is one of the greatest Russian Tsars, acclaimed for establishing diplomatic relations between the then Russia and Europe.

Minister Dlamini Zuma is on a two-nation European visit that will see her meet with her Russian and French counterparts as part of efforts aimed at consolidating bilateral political and economic relations between South Africa and the Russian Federation on one hand and France on the other.

Among other issues to be discussed is the status of bilateral relations between South Africa and the two countries, outcome of the recently held G-8 Summit, conflict resolution in Africa, the Review of the Millennium Development Summit in New York later this year, and reform of the United Nations including its Security Council.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853.
Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
11 July 2005