President Jacob Zuma has today, 1 March 2011, arrived in Paris, France for a State Visit at the invitation of the President of the French Republic, His Excellency Nicolas Sarkozy. The visit runs from the 2 to 3 March.
President Zuma is accompanied by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Rob Davies, the Minister of Finance, Mr Pravin Gordhan, the Minister of Police Mr Nathi Mthethwa, and the Minister of Energy Ms Dipuo Peters.
South Africa will seek to deepen cooperation with France on the five national priorities, education, health, rural development, the fight against crime and creating decent work. Also important is a massive infrastructure roll out. Both countries chair the G20 Development Working Group.
The creation of decent jobs is foremost in these priorities and President Zuma is accompanied by a business delegation, invited by the Department of Trade and Industry and Business Unity South Africa. Some of the companies specialise in the six growth areas mentioned in the New Growth Path. These are infrastructure development, agriculture, mining and beneficiation, manufacturing, the green economy and tourism.
During the visit President Zuma will also hold talks with the Prime Minister, Francois Fillon, President of the Senate, Gerard Larcher, Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë as well as Bernard Accoyer, President of the National Assembly to discuss various economic and cultural relations.
President Zuma will also participate in a remembrance ceremony for Ms Dulcie September, the ANC Representative in France, who was brutally murdered in Paris on 29 March 1988 by persons as yet unknown.
At the end of the visit on 3 March, the President will travel to Nouakchott in Mauritania, on a working visit in his capacity as a member of the African Union High‐Level Panel for the Resolution of the Crisis in Côte d'Ivoire.
The President will return to South Africa on 5 March.
Enquiries:
Zizi Kodwa
Cell: 082 330 4910.
Source: The Presidency
