Paris, July 25, SPA -- The first-ever summit meeting between the EuropeanUnion and South Africa opened Friday in the southern French city ofBordeaux, reported the DPA. South African President Thabo Mbeki will meet with EuropeanCommission President Jose Manuel Barroso and French President NicolasSarkozy, in his role as acting EU president, as well as the EU'sforeign affairs chief, Javier Solana. South Africa is the only African state to date to have signed aStrategic Partnership Agreement with the EU. Friday's summit is thefirst since the establishment of the Partnership, in May 2007. The discussions at the summit will focus on South Africa's role inmediating African crisis situations, such as Zimbabwe and Burundi. Immigration, trade and climate change are other issues on theagenda of the one-day meeting. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/576729