President of South Africa state visit: Jacob Zuma speech to MPs

President of South Africa state visit: Jacob Zuma speech to MPs; ENGLAND: London: INT Jacob Zuma (President of South Africa) speech SOT - I feel greatly privileged to address members of Parliament during our State visit to the United Kingdom / This special honour speaks to the extent and the warmth of the relations between our two peoples / Our visit provides a valuable opportunity for South Africa and the United Kingdom to deepen bilateral relations and advance common positions on the broader challenge of building a peaceful, stable and more equitable world / It is heartening that in a space of just 16 years, the relations between South Africa and the UK have grown so dramatically in almost every area, from the economy to diplomacy, from education to sport / One of the main drivers of these relations has been the South Africa-United Kingdom Bilateral Forum, established in 1997, which has yielded significant results / Total trade between the UK and South Africa has increased tremendously, by 173% between 1998 and 2008 / The UK is our South Africa's largest foreign investor, as well as highest international patron of our tourism industry / This picture is the same in almost every sphere of interaction / This is a sure sign of confidence in our relationship, and the value that we attach to our partnership