South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma is to pay an official visit - expected to be a bilateral trade boosting exercise - to Poland and Romania

South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma is to pay an official visit - expected to be a bilateral trade boosting exercise - to Poland and Romania from Monday to Friday next week, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. In a statement on Friday, spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said Zuma would be accompanied by Science and Technology Minister Mosibudi Mangena, Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad, Deputy Trade Minister Lindiwe Hendricks and Deputy Agriculture Minister Dirk du Toit. In Poland, Zuma will have bilateral political and economic discussions with Prime Minister Marek Belka and is expected to pay a courtesy call on President Aleksander Kwasniewski. Zuma will be in the country on Monday and Tuesday. While in Romania, Zuma will have discussions with his counterpart, Adrian Nastase, and is expected to pay a courtesy call on President Ion Iliescu. Zuma will be in Romania from Wednesday to Friday. Issues on the agenda will include bilateral political and economic relations, the African Union, the implementation of Nepad as the socio-economic programme of the African continent and attempts by the African leadership to create conditions for peace in Burundi, the Congo, Sudan and Ivory Coast.