South African Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Mbeki, accompanied by Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, will participate in the Group of Eight (G8) Summit in St Petersburg in Russia from Sunday.

"President Thabo Mbeki, together with the Presidents of India, Brazil, Mexico, and China have been invited to the G-8 Summit as Strategic Outreach Partners and will participate in a round table discussion on Monday," the ministry said through a statement.

Mbeki's participation in the G8 Summit comes within the context of South Africa's commitment to promote north-south cooperation in support of the African Agenda through, among others, the G8, the statement said.

The president and the Strategic Outreach Partners would also hold discussions on the margins of the G8 Summit with a view to strengthening south-south cooperation and consolidating the development agenda of the south.

"The 2006 G-8 Summit, under Russia's chairpersonship, will for the first time integrate the African agenda into all G-8 deliberations," said the statement.

"In addition, outcomes of the G-8 Summit will continue to be evaluated for their impact on the African development agenda and other developing countries," it said.