> Chirac seeks more French clout in southern Africa
> 04:44 a.m. Jun 23, 1998 Eastern
>
> By Emma Thomasson
>
> CAPE TOWN, June 23 (Reuters) - French President Jacques Chirac starts a
> four-nation tour of southern Africa on Thursday to try to spread his
> country's economic and political influence southwards from francophone
> Africa.
>
> ``France's approach towards Africa is an expanding one,'' a spokesman at
> the French Embassy in Pretoria told Reuters. ``It is moving away from
> what is called French-speaking Africa and this visit is an illustration
> of that.''
>
> Chirac is set to arrive in Namibia on Thursday morning and travel on to
> Pretoria on Friday, where he will meet Nelson Mandela and the South
> African president's heir-apparent, Deputy President Thabo Mbeki.
>
> The French president will also address the French and South African
> Business Forum and visit the Johannesburg township of Soweto before
> flying on to Cape Town, where he will meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu at a
> local wine estate.
>
> He will fly out of Cape Town on Sunday afternoon to Mozambique and is
> due to move on to Angola next Tuesday.
>
> Mbeki met Chirac and French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin earlier this
> month, during a visit to France to support his country's team in the
> World Cup soccer tournament.
>
> ``We are awaiting his visit with impatience,'' Mbeki said. ``It will be
> an important visit which will allow us to review the state of relations
> between France and South Africa in the past four years as well
> as...cooperation in Africa.''
>
> This will be Chirac's first trip to South Africa and his seventh to the
> continent. His predecessor, the late Francois Mitterrand, was Mandela's
> first official guest after he won the country's historic all-race
> election in 1994.
>
> Chirac will be accompanied by Finance Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn,
> Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine and around 40 leading French
> businessmen.
>
> ``Some are already in partnership here,'' the French Embassy spokesman
> said. ``But the main bulk are groups which are not present. Chirac wants
> to show them South Africa.''
>
> South Africa is France's largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa
> and trade has doubled since 1994. French exports to South Africa
> totalled 4.7 billion rand ($857 million) in 1997, while South Africa
> exported 1.8 billion rand ($328 million) of goods to France.
>
> But one European diplomat said France had lagged behind South Africa's
> three main trade partners, Britain, Germany and the United States, in
> moving into the continent's economic powerhouse after the lifting of
> apartheid-era sanctions.
>
> ``Chirac may announce events in the economic field which will contribute
> to the further reinforcement of the contribution of French companies to
> the development of the South African economy,'' said Marc Bouteiller,
> French economic and commercial counsellor to South Africa.
>
> Henry de Cazotte, Southern Africa director for the French Development
> Agency, said several loan agreements mainly for infrastructure projects
> would be signed during Chirac's visit.
>
> ``This visit will enhance French activity on the investment and
> development side in the region,'' de Cazotte told Reuters.
>
> ``We will show we believe in the region.''
>
> As French tentacles stretch southwards, South Africa is equally gearing
> up to break into francophone territory.
>
> South Africa's Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin has just completed
> a 10-day trade and investment mission to West Africa, taking in the
> Ivory Coast, Senegal and Ghana.
>
> But France says there is no new race for the continent and is keen to
> promote joint business initiatives with southern African companies who
> want to expand into its traditional sphere of influence in francophone
> West Africa.
>
> ``There is no international competition for Africa. The more countries
> that are interested in Africa the better,'' said one senior diplomat.
>
> But France certainly wants to prove its political might in the region
> and there was some diplomatic embarrassment after France demanded the
> same treatment South Africa accorded U.S. President Bill Clinton on his
> visit earlier this year.
>
> Chirac is likely to discuss protracted free trade negotiations between
> South Africa and the European Union, peacekeeping on the continent and
> France's bid to reequip the country's defence force for the new
> millennium.
>
> France is the only country bidding for all components of the 10 billion
> rand ($1.82 billion) South Africa wants to spend over 10 years.
>
> ($ - 5.48 rand)
>
> ((Cape Town newsroom +27 21 252238, reutercpiafrica.com))
>
>
> Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited