Former President of South Africa FW de Klerk and FIFA President Sepp Blatter, expressed their confidence in the nation's ability to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup at their recent meeting in Zurich.
Last Monday, Mr Blatter and FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke had the pleasure of welcoming the former President of the Republic of South Africa and his wife to the FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed as President Blatter and De Klerk discussed the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the current political situation in the host country, FIFA said on its official website.
"This is a great occasion for us. We are very happy to welcome you here as our guest," the President of football's world governing body told the former South African head of state before emphasising that "FIFA is absolutely convinced that the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa will be a great success".
Mr de Klerk, who was President of the Republic of South Africa between 1989 and 1994 and who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela in 1993, was equally confident: "The 2010 World Cup is helping our socio-cultural development. I am very optimistic because everyone in South Africa wants the World Cup to be a success."
The social aspect of football was another point on the agenda.
"You are doing magnificent work all over the world," Mr de Klerk said in praise of FIFA's social programmes."We want to help," President Blatter replied adding: "Football means hope and brings the peoples of the world together."
After the meeting, the former President of South Africa travelled on to Interlaken, where he was a guest speaker at the 6th International Alpine Symposium on the topic of "Corporate Social Responsibility - The Role of Companies in Society's Fields of Conflict."
Later that week, the FIFA President's spoke at the same event with his address entitled: "Football for everyone, everyone for football!"
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