Pretoria - International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will lead a South African delegation to the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit (NSS), scheduled for 24 - 25 March in The Hague.
The minister, who will be joined by Energy Minister Ben Martins at the summit, today arrived in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Building on the 2010 Washington and 2012 Seoul summits, the main objective of The Hague summit is to review progress achieved since the NSS process started in 2010, and to contribute to the strengthening of nuclear security through stronger national measures and improved international cooperation.
“South Africa’s participation in the NSS process is informed by the shared vision of a world free of weapons of mass destruction, and in particular nuclear weapons.
“The 2014 Nuclear Security Summit takes place within this broader framework of South Africa’s triple objectives of nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said.
South Africa has welcomed the progress that has been made since the first summit in Washington DC to strengthen nuclear security at national level, and through multilateral organisations, especially the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Minister Nkoana-Mashabane will host a BRICS Meeting of Foreign Ministers on Monday, 24 March, prior to the summit. She will also hold bilateral consultations with her Dutch counterpart, Frans Timmermans. – SAnews.gov.za
