Opening remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa to the French Republic

Your Excellency Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic,
Honourable Ministers,
Ambassadors,
Senior Officials,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening.

Allow me to begin by thanking you, Your Excellency, President Macron, for receiving us and for the generous hospitality to our delegation.

Earlier today I co-chaired the Leaders Group meeting of the High-Level Steering Committee on Education alongside the Director-General of UNESCO; and attended the Transforming Education Summit +4.

These engagements were productive and outcomes oriented; and South Africa is honoured to be part of shaping the future of global education that really is the bedrock upon which the entire Agenda 2030 rests.

France is a key strategic partner for South Africa, and we enjoy longstanding bilateral cooperation spanning trade and investment, energy, defence, education, people-to-people exchange and other fields.

Today’s engagement is a welcome opportunity to exchange views on global developments of mutual interest, as well as to review our progress in advancing our bilateral priorities. 

The South Africa–France Forum for Political Dialogue has played a key role in this regard.

Following your state visit to South Africa in 2021, Mr. President, the Forum was elevated to a Joint Ministerial Commission. (JMC). I am pleased that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed today by our respective Foreign Ministers. This step affirms our shared commitment to deepening our bilateral cooperation.

The economic relationship between South Africa and France is growing from strength to strength.

In March this year we held a successful 6th South Africa Investment Conference in Johannesburg where there was a strong showing by French companies.

This is a premier event for showcasing the opportunities for domestic and international investors in the South African economy, aligned with our national investment drive. This year, thirty French companies pledged approximately EUR 1,11 billion (ZAR 20,7 billion) in investments across a range of key economic sectors.

This demonstrates the increasing confidence French business has in our economy and future growth prospects. As we embark on the largest mass infrastructure build in our country’s history, we look forward to participation by French firms in this as well as other sectors.

Further to deepening cooperation, I have been briefed by our officials that several agreements are currently under negotiation, including an Agreement on Transport Related Matters; on Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy; and a Draft Declaration of Intent on Mobility.

Our two countries continue to collaborate in the fields of Science, Technology and Innovation. Allow me to congratulate France for becoming a full member of the Square Kilometer Array Observatory (SKAO), making it the 14th Member State of the intergovernmental organization.

I am told that the recently held Joint Committee Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation was a productive one. The priority focus areas for cooperation include Artificial Intelligence (AI), oceans and Marine Sciences, and soil health and water.

We welcome this ongoing cooperation in pursuit of innovation-led growth and environmental sustainability.

With respect to bilateral defence cooperation, both sides have agreed to convene the long overdue 13th Defence Strategic Dialogue to take stock of implementation of the MoU on Defence Cooperation, and to explore additional areas of cooperation. It is expected that the Strategic Dialogue will take place in South Africa in October this year.

France and South Africa continue to advance cultural diplomacy between our two countries to develop our respective creative industries. This relationship has a key role to play in harnessing the potential of the sector to support growth, transformation, social cohesion and job creation.

Your Excellency, President Macron,

At a time of significant geopolitical and economic shifts, we are confronting multiple, complex and interconnected challenges.

Conflicts and wars, trade tensions, climate impacts, pandemics, poverty and unemployment, and inequality within and between nations - threaten to undermine our quest to achieve a more peaceful, egalitarian and sustainable world.

Multilateralism is the most effective means for addressing these collective global challenges.

No country can resolve these issues in isolation. The current global environment requires stronger partnerships, collective action, and a renewed commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.

Allow me to take this opportunity to thank France for your support of our G20 Presidency convened under the theme ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.’ It remains critical that the actions contained in the historic Leaders Declaration are taken forward in both letter and spirit.

Lastly, your Excellency,

This coming Sunday I will be presiding over the commemoration of the Battle of Delville Wood at the Memorial in Longueval.

South Africa wishes to thank the French government and the people of France for its ongoing support in maintaining the Memorial.

The commemoration of Delville Wood is a reminder that even in an era shaped by new global challenges, the values for which so many sacrificed—peace, freedom, human dignity and equality—remain the enduring foundations of our shared humanity.

Our common destiny lies in working together to uphold these universal ideals for the benefit of present and future generations.

Your Excellency, with these words I thank you once again for welcoming us and I look forward to our engagement.