THE PRESIDENT KIKWETE TO MEET THE GERMANY FOREIGN MINISTER

PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete is expected to meet the Germany Foreign Minister, Mr Guido Westerwelle, in Dar es Salaam today to discuss issues of development cooperation.

Mr Westerwelle, who is accompanied by his Minister for Development Cooperation, Dirk Niebel, was expected to jet in Dar es Salaam yesterday evening. This will be Westerwelle's first trip to Africa since he became the Deputy Chancellor after his party, FDP, formed a coalition partnership with CDU/CSU parties of Chancellor Angela Merkel last October.

According to the itinerary released by German Embassy Deputy Head of Mission, Political Officer, Mr Clemens Hach, the duo are expected also to meet the Finance and Economic Affairs Minister, Mustafa Mkulo.

Mr Hach said Mr Westerwelle and Niebel will also meet with the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Judge Dennis Byron. They will launch a project with the aim of sensitizing East African youth on the history of Rwandan Genocide and the importance of international criminal prosecution.

He said the guests will participate in official inauguration of the premises of the German cultural institute, the Goethe-Institute, visit the Ocean Road Hospital and meet representatives of Tanzania Albino Society.

Later in the afternoon, Mr Westerwelle and Tanzanian Foreign Minister Mr Bernard Membe would hold a press conference followed by another one by Niebel and Mkulo.

Mr Hach said the minister had chosen Tanzania as his first destination in his first trip to Africa in recognition of the excellent and long standing bilateral relations between the two countries. "As well as in recognition of Tanzania being Germany's most important development partner in Africa," Mr Hach told the 'Daily News' today.

He said Tanzania was also important because it hosts the East African Community Secretariat and it is also currently holding the chair of the EAC Council.

They are expecting to leave today evening for South Africa (Pretoria and Cape Town, including Robben Island) and proceed to Djibouti, he said.