President Zuma,
I am delighted to welcome you and Mrs Zuma to Buckingham Palace this evening as we celebrate your State Visit to the United Kingdom.
Twenty years ago last month Nelson Mandela was released from prison in South Africa heralding an extraordinary process of liberation and democratic renewal. The task was daunting in its scale and ambition but was achieved through a deliberate and courageous effort of reconciliation and peaceful resolution of differences.
My first and highly memorable experience of South Africa was in 1947. The extraordinary beauty of the country and the vibrancy and diversity of its culture made a powerful impression upon me then. You can imagine how vivid the contrasts between that visit and my next were, nearly half a century later.
When Prince Philip and I visited South Africa in 1995, we could see for ourselves how much the country had changed. Just one year after the momentous elections which had brought President Mandela to power, a new atmosphere of self-confidence and positive hopes for the future was already very apparent.
In the period since, by developing its democratic institutions South Africa has been able to tackle many of its internal challenges. And on the international stage, having taken a seat on the Security Council of the United Nations and helped to bring peace to Burundi, South Africa has been developing a reputation for asserting its influence wisely.