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S. African president to visit France

Xinhua, July 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

South African President Jacob Zuma will undertake a state visit to France.

During the visit from July 11-12, Zuma and his French counterpart Francois Hollande will exchange views on peace and security as well as development, with particular emphasis on support for the implementation of African Union's Agenda 2063, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said in Pretoria Monday.

The two countries will further explore working together on global challenges including in areas such as illicit financial flows, climate change, UN Security Council reform, migration and terrorism, said Nkoana-Mashabane.

During the visit, Zuma will preside over the Centenary Commemoration of the Battle of Delville Wood on July 12.

The year 2016 marks the centenary of the Battle of Delville Wood, where thousands of soldiers died during World War I, especially those from the South African Infantry Brigade.

A South Africa-France business forum will also take place concurrently during the visit.

South Africa and France cooperate in areas such as energy, maritime, agriculture, science and technology, education, arts and culture, and defence, with an opportunity to expand in some areas. To this effect, Zuma and Hollande will witness the signing of a number of instruments during the visit, said the minister.

France remains an important source of foreign direct investment for South Africa.

In 2015, the overall volume of trade totalled 33.6 billion rand (about 2.3 billion U.S.dollars), with imports amounting to 1.7 billion dollars, and exports, about 619 million dollars.

According to the SA Department of Tourism, a total of 128,438 tourists from France visited South Africa in 2015, making France one of the highest sources of inward tourism. Enditem