South African president welcomed by Macron at start of visit to France

France South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was welcomed by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at the presidential palace in Paris on Friday. Discussions between the two men were due to focus on ways of strengthening political, economic, and strategic cooperation between the two countries. The meeting also provides an opportunity to discuss regional security, including conflicts in Africa, and broader global issues countries. Ramaphosa’s three-day visit come less than a month after South Africa was removed from the guest list for the G7 summit in Évian. The presidency initially said he had been excluded because “sustained pressure from the United States”, a claim Ramaphosa later said was incorrect. According to the French presidency, his visit to France this weekend is intended to reinforce the longstanding partnership between the two countries. Ramaphosa will also co-chair discussions at UNESCO focused on quality education and meet with French business leaders. On Sunday, he will take commemorations marking the 110th anniversary of the Battle of Delvile Wood in northern France during which over 2,500 South African soldiers died. 01:00 South Africa freezes funding for Johannesburg, dozens of municipalities Go to video Ghana rejects Ramaphosa visit over xenophobic attacks on Ghanaians Go to video South Africa deploys troops as anti-migrant protests escalate 02:00 Ebola: Ramaphosa urges solidarity with Congo in visit to Kinshasa 02:14 Burkina Faso: what will change after the diplomatic rupture with France? 02:12 Repatriation flight carrying 269 Nigerians fleeing South Africa arrives in Lagos