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South Africa's Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister, Mr Mohammed Valli Moosa, and the Minister of Equipment, Transport and Housing of the French Republic, Mr Jean-Claude Gayssot, have signed an administrative arrangement to develop co-operation in tourism and encourage investment in the sector.

The parties, who signed the arrangement in Pretoria on Monday evening, 25 February, will co-ordinate their efforts for the sustainable promotion and development of the tourism industry, and will give special attention to the development and expansion of tourism relations between South Africa and France.

The co-operation will include exchange of information and expertise by professionals and experts from the two countries. Among the exchange programmes will be the training of South African tour guides in the French language.

Furthermore, the two governments will actively encourage the establishment of relations between their tourism industries in order to contribute to the increase of the tourism traffic between the two countries.

Speaking before the signing ceremony, Minister Moosa said France was one of the greatest tourist destinations of the world, adding that a partnership with that country stood to greatly benefit South Africa's tourism industry.

Contact: Phindile Makwakwa at 072 216 7062/ (012) 310-3401

Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, 26 February 2002