Deputy President Paul Mashatile has arrived in Paris, France, for a working visit aimed at cementing bilateral relations.

South Africa and France are also expected to expand co-operation projects as well as identifying new areas of partnership with specific focus on trade and investment.

Recently, International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Ronald Lamola, co-chaired the 9th session of the Forum for Political Dialogue between France and South Africa.

Mashatile is set to take part in the SA-France Investment Conference, where the country will intensify cooperation in the fields of infrastructure development, science, technology and innovation; education and skills development.

SA also wants to improve the already strong people-to-people links between the two countries and increase the flow of tourism.

France is the 14th largest investor in SA with about 400 French companies investing in sectors such as Financial Services, Renewable Energy, Rail, Chemicals, Oil and Gas.

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As SABC News Correspondent William Denselow reports, the goal of the trip is to consolidate and expand trade ties in Europe as President Cyril Ramaphosa visits the United States to repair relations with the Trump administration.