By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@AFP.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will host France President Emmanuel Macron next Friday at the Union Buildings in Tshwane.
Ramaphosa has recently participated in the Summit on the Financing of African Economies hosted by President Macron.
“The summit recognised the role of extensive immunisation against COVID-19 as [a] global public good and committed to ensure and accelerate equitable access in Africa to safe and affordable vaccines, treatments and diagnostics through the ACT-Accelerator and its COVAX facility.”
This will be Macron’s first visit to South Africa, after he became the French head of state in May 2017.
“The visit is aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries, which is substantiated by a number of bilateral agreements in various areas of cooperation.
“The two countries are committed to advocating for world peace and security, strengthening multilateral and regional cooperation and responding to climate change.
“The visit will focus on issues pertaining to the global response to Covid-19 and the economic, health, research and manufacturing responses to the current pandemic and beyond,” the Presidency said in a statement on Friday evening.
Top on the agenda will be trade between the two countries, with South African being France’s largest trading partner in Africa.
France is South Africa’s largest trading partner with the European Union.
South Africa and France’s relations spans across areas of cooperation in energy, education, science and technology, as well as trade and investment among others.