PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA HOSTS PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON OF THE REPUBLIC OF FRANCE ON STATE VISIT, 28 MAY

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Friday, 28 May 2021, host His Excellency President Emmanuel Macron of the Republic of France on a State Visit at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

President Macron’s first visit to South Africa is at the invitation of President Ramaphosa.
 
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 leaders will also discuss the expansion of mutually beneficial trade and investment opportunities.  South Africa is France’s largest trading partner in Africa while France is South Africa’s second-largest trading partner within the European Union (EU) trading bloc.  Approximately 400 French companies are represented in South Africa.  During the 2019 South Africa Investment Conference, French companies pledged R20 billion of investment into South Africa.