International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane arrived in the Republic of Panama on Monday for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), her department said.
Nkoana-Mashabane was participating in the meeting in her capacity as incoming president of the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) which would take place in Durban later this year, said spokesman Clayson Monyela.
She will meet the UNFCCC secretariat, the G77 and representatives of the European Union in Panama City.
Nkoana-Mashabane would consult with other UNFCCC delegates with a view to a balanced and credible outcome at the COP17, he said.
She would also sign the host country agreement for COP17 on behalf of the South African government. - Sapa