Your Excellency, President Nicolas Sarkozy and Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy
Ministers and Deputy Ministers
Senior government officials from both delegations
The Dean and Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Business leaders
Our friends from France and distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Your Excellency
I would like to thank you for your kind invitation to us to undertake a State Visit to the French Republic.
This state visit follows the one you undertook to South Africa in 2008, soon after assuming the Presidency of France. You requested to meet with me then, in my capacity as the President of the ruling party in Cape Town.
That meeting indicated to me that you wanted to maintain very strong relations with South Africa and that you would personally work hard to ensure that it happens.
We appreciate that commitment.
Although I was here last year attending the Africa-France Summit in Nice, I feel greatly honoured to be here on a State Visit. This indicates the importance that you attach to the relations between the two countries.
My delegation and I would like to thank you for the warm hospitality and we look forward to an enjoyable and successful visit.
Let me emphasise that South Africa attaches great importance to the excellent relations between our two countries. Ours is a relationship that has grown, deepened and matured over the years.
I trust that the outcome of this visit will provide the necessary impetus to our relations to continue to flourish and expand.
Friendship and cooperation can only occur in a relationship where there are shared values.
France's commitment to democracy, respect for human rights and social justice makes it a natural partner for South Africa.
In addition, our relationship has tangible programmes and projects of cooperation which have diversified and strengthened over the past 15 years.
In this regard, I would like to thank you, Excellency, for you and your government's unequivocal support to our government's five priorities.
The focal point this year is the creation of decent jobs. We have asked all sectors of society to focus on creating jobs to help us deal with poverty and unemployment.
At the same time we will not neglect education and skills development; health; rural development and land reform; and combating crime and corruption, our additional priorities.
Mr President
Bilateral trade between our two countries is sound. Despite the effects of the world economic and financial crisis, France continues to be one of our biggest trading partners and investors. French companies provide employment to more than 30 000 people in South Africa.
We look forward to the business forum meeting tomorrow where we can look at even more opportunities to intensify the trade and investment relations between our two countries.
Two weeks ago, I received, in Cape Town, the latest addition to the fleet of our national airline carrier, South African Airways (SAA) a new Airbus A330 from the Airbus Company.
We are expecting an additional 20 aircraft in the coming years.
As an emerging market with major global ambitions, we want to improve the competitiveness of our national carrier.
To do this, we need a reliable and modern fleet that helps us connect South Africa with the rest of the African continent, the South as well as with the world.
Mr President
Our two countries have ongoing cooperation in the important field of energy. A very successful third Working Group on Energy took place in Paris on 4February this year and we look forward to ongoing work.
Given our focus on education and skills development, we welcome cooperation in the training of managers.
This intervention is run by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with its South African partner, the National Empowerment Fund, with the financial support of the French Development Agency.
Your Excellency
Let me also use this opportunity to extend our gratitude to you and your government, for your assistance in training the South African Riot Police in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Our police force looks forward to continued co-operation with their French counterparts in our efforts to combat crime in South Africa.
I have only mentioned a few of the excellent projects between our two countries, but there are many more that have a momentum of their own and which we are continuing to implement.
This is a clear sign of the maturity and richness of our relationship, which we cherish and which we trust will continue to develop in the years to come.
This relationship also extends to our common interest in the sustainable development of the continent and the quest for peace and stability.
Currently we share the objective of bringing about peace and normalcy to Cote d'Ivoire.
As you are aware, South Africa is a member of the African Union High Level Panel on the resolution of the Cote d'Ivoire crisis, chaired by the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
The panel is in discussion with the two parties to the current stalemate and have to make recommendations to the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council soon.
It is not an easy matter, but we have to help our sisters and brothers in that country to find a political solution soon.
We should all work hard to avoid a deepening conflict in that country and help Cote d'Ivoire to emerge from uncertainty. We need lasting peace and stability in Cote d'Ivoire.
The AU working with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with the support of the international community, is seized with this matter, and it should be possible to find a resolution.
Your Excellency
I would also like to thank you, for your decision to give prominence to Africa and the African agenda in the G20 and the G8, under the Presidency of France.
You have indicated on a few occasions that you take the role of the G20 in global governance very seriously and look forward to the two forthcoming meetings of both the G8 and G20.
We support France's emphasis of the issues of commodity prices, food security and the future of the International Monetary System. All these are important matters.
So are the continuing issues of financial regulation and macroeconomic coordination.
If not addressed properly, these unresolved problems could lead to further instability in the world economy and could do severe damage to the condition of the poor worldwide. We offer France our full support in addressing these global challenges.
We also strongly support your prioritisation of the Development Working Group of the G20, Mr President.
We were pleased that France indicated its confidence in South Africa's contribution to the development agenda by inviting us to remain co-chairs of the Development Working Group, along with France and Korea.
We also congratulate the members of the High Level Panel on Infrastructure for their appointment.
We have high expectations of the contribution that the panel will make to improving and accelerating investment in infrastructure in developing countries and regions, especially in Africa.
We hope that we can do more together, even in areas where we may hold divergent views.
Mr President
I also wish to thank you for your commitment to and pronouncement on the reform of the international governance system, especially the United Nations Security Council, on which Africa must be represented adequately.
We count on your support to achieve this in 2011.
In addition, as a Non-Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council for the next two years, South Africa also looks forward to working with France on the complex agenda before the council in an effort to address the many international issues we are faced with.
Thank you once again for the warm reception and hospitality.
We look forward to the further deepening of relations between our two countries and our peoples.
Ladies and gentlemen
May you please rise and join me in a toast to the health and prosperity of His Excellency Nicolas Sarkozy and Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy, and to the friendship and solidarity between the people of France and South Africa!
I thank you.
Source: The Presidency
