By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron are meeting in Pretoria on Friday.
Ramaphosa and Macron are set to discuss the global COVID-19 response recovery plan during a meeting.
We welcome His Excellency President @EmmanuelMacron of the French Republic to the Union Buildings at whose heart is the Women’s Monument. The monument commemorates the role of women in the struggle for our liberation, the grinding stone signifying the power of women. #FranceInSA pic.twitter.com/nzl1hfwTpV
— Cyril Ramaphosa ?? #StaySafe (@CyrilRamaphosa) May 28, 2021
The two Heads of State will also pay a visit to the Vaccine Production Support Initiative for Africa at the University of Pretoria and, they’ll talk about strengthening the alliance between South Africa and France.
This is Macron’s first visit to South Africa and is at the invitation of Ramaphosa.
According to the Presidency, the visit aims to deepen bilateral cooperation between South Africa and France.
Addressing members of the media during the State Visit of the French Republic #FranceInSA #BetterAfricaBetterWorld https://t.co/hkTHkIiVzj
— Cyril Ramaphosa ?? #StaySafe (@CyrilRamaphosa) May 28, 2021
The presidents will discuss trade and investment, including technical skills training in South Africa in collaboration with the private sector.
The ministerial delegation that will join Ramaphosa includes International Relations and Cooperation Minister Dr Naledi Pandor, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize and Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel.
South Africa is France’s largest trading partner in Africa, while France is South Africa’s second-largest trading partner in the European Union (EU).
Watch Live Proceedings Below:
Courtesy of Presidency.