O 091508Z APR 09 ZFF4
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8079

UNCLAS PRETORIA 000713 
 
 
FOR AF/EX RUSH MARBURG, FOR OES/EGC BARBARA DEROSA-JOYNT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPDC PREL SF
SUBJECT: LETTER FROM PRESIDENT MOTLANTHE TO PRESIDENT OBAMA 
 
REF: 210243Z MAR 09 
 
¶1.  Post received a letter from President Motlanthe addressed 
to President Obama in response to the invitation to the Major 
Economies Forum. Text of the letter follows. 
 
¶2. BEGIN TEXT: 
 
03 April 2009 
 
Your Excellency, 
 
I refer to your letter of 24 March 2009 proposing the Major 
Economies Forum on Energy and Climate to continue the work of 
the existing Major Economies initiative. 
 
I support your proposal and South Africa will continue to 
participate in this forum to support the formal negotiations 
under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate 
Change (UNFCCC). 
 
I also believe that a candid dialogue may assist the formal 
negotiations and facilitate a better understanding between 
some of the key countries in the negotiations.  South Africa 
will therefore attend the proposed Heads of State Meeting in 
July that will follow the G8 5 Heads of State Meeting. 
 
My Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Minister 
Marthinus van Schalkwyk, will continue to represent me in the 
preparatory sessions. 
 
I also look forward to working with you on this issue.  South 
Africa strongly believes that a global agreement is possible 
and we will work with all other countries to achieve that. 
 
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest 
consideration. 
 
/s/ 
Kgalema Motlanthe 
 
END TEXT 
 
¶3. Original signed letter will be sent via pouch under 
registry number 033587. 
 
 
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