Zuma's visit to France strengthens bilateral ties: Presidency

South African President Jacob has concluded a successful state visit to France, which has further deepened relations between the two countries, the Presidency said on Wednesday.

Zuma held talks with his French counterpart Francois Hollande, and the two leaders reaffirmed the need to enhance the strategic partnership encompassing political, economic, social and defence matters, the Presidency said upon Zuma's return from France.

Agreements were signed during the visit to deepen cooperation between the two countries in the fields of energy, agriculture, higher education and training, as well as arts and culture, presidential spokesperson Bongani Ngqulunga said.

Underscoring the importance of boosting trade relations and economic cooperation, Zuma met French CEOs and addressed the South Africa-France Business Forum, where he impressed upon the private sector to explore investment opportunities in South Africa, Ngqulunga said.

Zuma also officiated at the centenary commemoration of the Battle of Delville Wood in Somme, France, a ceremony that ended 100 years of the marginalization of black soldiers who died in the First World War. The French government has built a memorial that recognizes all soldiers regardless of race.

Zuma's visit, themed "working together as equal partners to explore opportunities and address the challenges of the 21st Century", took place on July 11-12.

In their meeting, Zuma and Hollande exchanged views on peace and security as well as development in both their regions, with particular emphasis on support for the implementation of African Union's Agenda 2063.

A South Africa-France Business Forum took place concurrently with the state visit, with a focus on the expansion of investment and trade in the sectors of agro-processing, financial services and defence industries, while also addressing the trade imbalance between the two countries.

France remains an important source of foreign direct investment for South Africa. During the period of 2004-2015 inward investments from France amounted to over 24.31 billion rand (about 1.65 billion U.S. dollars), creating around 4, 499 jobs.

In 2015, the overall volume of trade totalled 33.6 billion rand (about 2.3 billion dollars) with imports amounting to 24.49 billion rand (about 1.7 billion dollars), and exports amounting to 9.11 billion rand (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. Endit