Mr President,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you and Mrs Mbeki to Windsor. It is very good to see you back in Britain on this State Visit which so clearly symbolises and underlines the special history, range and intensity of the relationship between our two countries.

For me my strong personal affection for South Africa dates from the Royal Visit in 1947 when I accompanied my father for the first time on an overseas tour. It was therefore nice for me to recapture the warmth and vitality of the ties between us during the two recent visits to your country Prince Philip and I have made. In 1995 we witnessed the joy and optimism following the change to democratic rule. In 1999, when you hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Durban, we were able to see for ourselves the quite remarkable progress South Africa has made since the transition.

It is to your credit, Mr President, that this drive forward has continued. It is easy to forget just how much has been achieved. Yours is a country of courageous and diverse people, working together to construct a truly inclusive modern democracy within a new nation. A strong and stable economy has allowed you to make significant improvements to the living standards of so many of those hardest hit by the apartheid years; for example, by the provision to millions of housing, water and electricity.

There is a lot of work still to be done. There are, in particular, high expectations to manage. I have no doubt, however, that the spirit and determination of the South African people, with the support of your many friends around the world, not least in the Commonwealth, will strengthen you in your search for progress and reconciliation as you build the new South Africa.

Mr President, we know you are committed to change within your country. But your desire to make positive change also spreads beyond South Africa’s bounds. All too often Africa’s success stories are over shadowed by its problems, but there is so much that is full of hope and promise. You, with other African leaders, have begun work on a new compact between Africa and the international community, where the challenges which you all face can be addressed more effectively as shared concerns. The United Kingdom strongly supports this “African Recovery Programme” and is making a major contribution to it.

South Africa’s influence as a key player on the world stage goes much wider than the African continent. You are Chairman of the Commonwealth Heads of Government and of the Non Aligned Movement. Your days must already be long, Mr President. But in addition you will shortly play host to the World Conference against Racism, and next year the Johannesburg Earth Summit. The United Kingdom looks forward to co-operating closely with you to ensure the success of these two important events, as well as to continuing our close relationship at the United Nations.

Mr President, I am proud of the way the United Kingdom has worked so effectively with the new South Africa. Trade between our two countries now exceeds five billion pounds per year. Our cultural and sporting links continue to grow, as do the numbers of British tourists who flock to South Africa each year to enjoy the beaches, the scenery, the wildlife and of course, the new generation of fine South African wines. Our own younger generations are forging new links, using the latest technologies to form new friendships on-line, and travelling and working in each other’s countries more than ever before. Was all this really possible to imagine when you were here as a student in Britain in the 1960’s?

Mr President, perhaps we should not be surprised, for South Africa has long held a special place in the hearts of the British people – as was so evident at last month’s Freedom day Concert in Trafalgar Square. We share common histories and common aspirations. Tolerance and reconciliation are virtues to which we both aspire. Freedoms of belief and expression are central to our character, as to yours. This is why it is so significant to welcome you here on this State Visit. It enables us to honour our shared past, to acknowledge our common values of the present, and to recognise the challenges we shall face together in the years ahead.

Mr President, I wish you and Mrs Mbeki a most enjoyable visit to this country and may I now ask all our guests to raise their glasses and a drink a toast to:

His Excellency the President of the Republic of South Africa and the South African people.