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afrol News, 13 May - South African President Thabo Mbeki is currently visiting Norway, where he has met five Scandinavian Prime Ministers. Yesterday's Nordic-South African summit resulted in the full Scandinavian support for the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). The Nordic press however was more interested in Mbeki's controversial views on HIV/AIDS. Zimbabwe has been the issue mostly dividing Nordic countries from their long-standing ally, the ANC of South Africa. The South African government's failure to speak out against the rigged Zimbabwean elections indeed has jeopardised Western support to the NEPAD process. Mbeki is one of the principal heads behind the NEPAD concept. Differences over Zimbabwe were however sorted out at the summit, held yesterday in Molde, Western Norway - hometown of Christian-conservative Norwegian PM Kjell Magne Bondevik. The Nordic heads of government stated their concern over the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe, but "welcomed and supported the initiative by President Mbeki and by Nigeria's President Obasanjo to promote inter-party dialogue in Zimbabwe," even if the Zimbabwean Inter-party dialogue just had broken down. The summit ended in the so-called 'Molde Declaration', an agreement by the six heads of government "to intensify co-operation and dialogue between their countries," and where they noted "with great satisfaction the further strengthening of ties between the Nordic countries and South Africa." In the Declaration, the Nordic Prime Ministers expressed their "full support for the goals of NEPAD." It was agreed that to achieve good democratic governance and stronger economic growth, leadership by Africa, as well as a close partnership with and support from the international community, was needed. The Nordic Prime Ministers "committed themselves to assisting Africa" to achieve these goals. "In particular, the Summit agreed on the need to reform the global political, economic and financial architecture to ensure a more equitable voice for Africa in global decision-making institutions and to make the global institutions more responsive to Africa's needs." At the press conference in Molde after the summit yesterday, the heads of government agreed that the 'Molde Declaration' - which follows up and develops a similar declaration of year 2000 - was an important step in formalising the South African-Nordic cooperation. It was however emphasised that this process only was in its meagre beginning. President Mbeki became the focus at the press conference as Scandinavian journalists were eager to have his controversial views on the HIV/AIDS epidemic explained. Mbeki seemed very uncomfortable with this and only commented he "never" had said "that there is no connection between HIV and AIDS." He also told journalists that his government indeed was taking the AIDS problem very seriously. After the press conference, Mbeki had bilateral talks with each of the five Nordic Prime Ministers. This morning, Mbeki travelled to the Norwegian capital, Oslo, on an official visit. According to the official program, Mbeki's visit to Oslo includes "a speech at the University of Oslo, a meeting with the Vice President of the Parliament, audience and lunch with the King, talks and a press conference with Prime Minister Bondevik and a government dinner." Mbeki leaves Norway tomorrow morning. At yesterday's Molde Summit, President Mbeki had met with Nordic Prime Ministers Kjell Magne Bondevik (Norway), David Oddsson (Iceland), Paavo Lipponen (Finland), Göran Persson (Sweden) and Anders Fogh Rasmussen (Denmark).
Sources: Based on Norwegian govt., media reports and afrol
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