South Africa – Visit by Catherine Colonna (June 19-20, 2023)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna will be visiting South Africa on June 19 and 20.

She will meet with her South African counterpart, Naledi Pandor, three weeks after their last meeting in Paris. The ministers will review the war in Ukraine and its consequences. They will talk about the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, which will be held in Paris on June 22 and 23, and will address the most important international challenges on which our two countries are working together, such as climate and health, The ministers will discuss ways to continue cooperation between our two countries, particularly in the vital areas of business, the climate, young people, athletics and education.

They will also discuss the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) This partnership, which was launched at the COP26 and is supported and financed by France, aims to help decarbonize the South African energy mix and contribute to a just energy transition.

During her visit, the minister will meet with South African Campus France alumni, who can testify to the many exchange programs between our two countries. She will inaugurate the new premises of the Institut Français in South Africa, which is currently displaying the collections of the latest Paris Fashion Week.
She will also meet with representatives of the French community in South Africa as well as the heads of French companies located there. French companies’ investments in South Africa have doubled over the past 10 years.
The minister will also visit Loftus Versfeld Stadium, an iconic location for South African rugby, where she will converse with players a few months ahead of the Rugby World Cup in France.