The French Minister for Industry, François Loos, will visit South Africa on 19 and 20 February 2007.

The main purpose of his visit is to strengthen energy co-operation between France and South Africa.

To this effect he will meet South Africa's Minister for Mineral and Energy Affairs, Buyelwa Sonjica.

Together they will open a French-South African Conference on Energy on 20 February in Cape Town.

Energy policy in France and South Africa, challenges in electricity markets and nuclear energy will be among the themes discussed at the conference.

Minister Loos will also meet the Minister for Trade, Mr Mpahlwa, the Minister for Public Enterprise, Mr Erwin and the Minister for Communications, Ms Matsepe-Casaburri.

These meetings aim at fostering cooperation in the fields of trade and investment as well as technological and industrial cooperation in the field of IT.
Minister Loos comes with a number of offers and proposals in support of JIPSA and the training of young South African professionals.

Minister Loos and Minister Sonjica will address the media at 10am on 20 February at the Cape Town Convention Centre at the occasion of the French-South African Conference on Energy.

France and South Africa have already established cooperation in the energy sector around institutional cooperation, energy forecasting and the security of energy supply as well as research and training.

François Loos, an engineer by training, was previously deputy Minister of Trade and has been Minister for Industry since June 2005. He has held many distinguished political positions. This will be his second visit to South Africa.

Sapa
 
 
 
 
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge