The Covid-19 on the menu for Emmanuel Macron's trip to South Africa
French President Emmanuel Macron at the presidential palace in Pretoria, South Africa, May 28, 2021 © RFI / Pierre Firtion
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2 min
After Rwanda, Emmanuel Macron is this Friday, May 28 in South Africa.
A trip focused on the health issue while this country is the one that has been the hardest hit by the Covid crisis on the African continent.
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With our special
correspondent in Pretoria
,
Pierre Firtion
As soon as they arrived in South Africa, Emmanuel Macron was received by his counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa.
This state visit is Emmanuel Macron's first to South Africa.
A trip that was supposed to take place last year, but had to be postponed due to the health crisis.
This trip has several challenges.
Health first, since South Africa is the country on the continent which has been the hardest hit by the Covid-19 crisis.
A vaccine production support program for Africa
will be launched this afternoon during a visit to the University of Pretoria.
An initiative prepared for many months by France, the European Union, the United States and the World Bank.
Relaunch exchanges
This visit is also economically important.
Trade between the two countries has been severely affected by the crisis.
The objective is therefore to revive French investment.
The last issue is diplomatic.
The two presidents will discuss the situation in Mozambique in particular.
"
South Africa is a major partner on the African continent and more broadly, it is the only African member of the G20 regularly invited to the G7
", commented in the entourage of the French president.
This trip in any case confirms a strategy at work since the arrival of Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee: the opening of France
to non-French speaking African countries
.
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South Africa
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Emmanuel Macron
Cyril Ramaphosa
Coronavirus
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