UK: NELSON MANDELA MEETS QUEEN ELIZABETH

(3 May 2000) Natural Sound

South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela took tea with Britain's Queen at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday during a brief trip to London.

81-year-old Mandela, earlier met with Prime Minister Tony Blair and was made an Honorary Queen's Councillor at the House of Lords.

The former South African leader and the Queen last met in South Africa during last November's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Durban.

At the Downing Street talks, Blair announced an extra £100,000 (160-thousand U-S dollars) in aid to help resolve the conflict in war-torn Burundi, where Mr Mandela is trying to broker the peace process.

Blair met Mandela for nearly an hour and discussed not only Burundi but also Britain's policy on the crisis in Zimbabwe.

Mandela was said to support Britain's approach and promised that his successor, Thabo Mbeki, would play a key role in private discussions with the government of Zimbabwe.

The British Prime Minister also thanked Mandela for his help in bringing the two Lockerbie bombing suspects to trial, as their trial got underway in the Netherlands.

Mandela excerted his influence with Libya's leader Moammar Gadhafi to get the suspects brought to trial.

Honorary Queen's Councillors are traditionally academic lawyers rewarded in recognition of their work.

The appointment of Mandela, who is a qualified lawyer, was a special tribute to his efforts in bringing reconciliation and hope to (m) millions of people throughout Africa and the world.

Mandela is due to fly home on Wednesday evening.

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