Pretoria - South Africa and Sweden are set to strengthen ties between the two countries at the 6th South Africa-Sweden Bi-National Commission (BNC).
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is expected to receive Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Maud Olofsson who is expected to arrive in the country today.
The BNC between South Africa and Sweden was established in 2000 and has since met in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007.
The priority areas for the 2010 BNC will be to strengthen bilateral relations between South Africa and Sweden by consolidating the outcomes of the 2007 BNC.
It will also focus on broader economic relations, especially investment and rural development and to highlight the importance of climate change.
On Thursday, Motlanthe is also expected to host the Prime Minister of Finland, Matti Vanhanen, who will be in South Africa on an official visit.
South Africa and Finland already have extensive trade and economic relations.
The government of Finland has recognised the importance of the reconstruction and development in South Africa and their contribution in this regard has been sizeable.
Finland also sees South Africa as playing a key role in the development of its relationship with the Sub-Saharan Africa
