*EPF202 08/20/2002
Text: Secretary of State Powell to Travel to Africa
(South Africa, Angola, Gabon on itinerary) (600)

Secretary of State Colin Powell will visit South Africa, Angola and Gabon during his September 2-6 trip to Africa, the State Department says.

President Bush announced August 19 that Powell would lead the U.S. delegation to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) scheduled for August 26 through September 4 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In an August 20 press notice, the department said that Powell will be discussing the peace process and national reconciliation efforts in Angola and environmental initiatives in Gabon.

Following is the text of the press notice:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
August 19, 2002

NOTICE TO THE PRESS

Travel by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell to Africa

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell will travel to South Africa, Angola and Gabon, September 2-6.

In South Africa, Secretary Powell will lead the U.S. delegation during the high-level segment of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. During his stay in Johannesburg September 3-4, he is scheduled to deliver a statement on behalf of the United States and will meet with heads of state and other senior representatives of governments participating in the World Summit.

At the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Secretary Powell will be joined by an interagency delegation including: Under Secretary of State Paula Dobriansky, Assistant Secretary of State John Turner, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Todd Whitman, Deputy EPA Administrator Linda Fisher, Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality James Connaughton, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture James Moseley, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Claude Allen, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Andrew Natsios, Under Secretary of Energy Robert Card, and National Oceanic,Atmospheric Administration Administrator Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Overseas Private Investment Corporation President Peter Watson, and Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Jennifer Haverkamp.

In Angola, Secretary Powell will discuss the progress being made in the peace process as well as efforts to effect national reconciliation. He will meet with Angola's President dos Santos, and with the UNITA leadership. He will also visit a camp for displaced persons and an orphanage to see at first-hand the challenges that Angola faces in rebuilding its war-torn society.

In Gabon, Secretary Powell will acknowledge the historical significance of Gabon's decision to dedicate ten percent of its territory to a national park system. While there, the Secretary will meet with Gabon's President Omar Bongo and Foreign Minister Jean Ping. In addition, he will visit a tropical rainforest reserve and meet with national and international conservationists as well.

The Press Office will notify those news organizations being offered a seat under the permanent rotation system. A sign-up sheet will remain posted in the Press Office until 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 20, 2002. The sign-up sheet will be a "wait list" in case additional seats become available.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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