Paris: Deputy President Paul Mashatile has arrived in Paris, France, for a working visit aimed at reinforcing South Africa’s historic and warm bilateral relations with that country. During the working visit, the two countries will be expanding on existing cooperation projects as well as identifying new areas of cooperation with a specific focus on trade and investment.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Deputy President’s visit follows a recent visit by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, last week to co-chair the 9th Session of the Forum for Political Dialogue (FPD) where the status of bilateral political relations between the two countries was discussed, including matters of mutual interest relating to international developments.
Deputy President Mashatile will participate in the SA-France Investment Conference, where South Africa will intensify cooperation in the fields of infrastructure development; science, technology and innovation; education and skills development, as well as improve the existing strong people-to-people links between the two countries and increase the flow of tourism to South Africa from France, said the Presidency in a statement. France is the 14th largest investor in South Africa, with about 400 French companies investing in sectors such as Financial Services, Renewable Energy, Rail, Chemicals, Oil and Gas, among others.
French companies have played a pivotal role in the Presidential Investment Conference. Since the first Presidential Investment Conference hosted in 2018, French companies have committed more than R70 billion with the majority of projects either completed or being implemented. As part of his programme, Deputy President Mashatile will pay a courtesy call on Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, meet with captains of different industries and conduct site visits to the Suez Global Waste Management Company and Dassault Syst¨mes.
The Deputy President is accompanied by Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi; Minister of Small Business Development Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams; Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy; Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie; Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille; Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Alvin Botes; Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela; Deputy Minister Trade, Industry and Competition Zuko Godlimpi and Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy Samantha Graham-Mar©.