Francois Hollande will next year become the first French president to pay a visit to Australia, officials said Tuesday, as Paris pushes to boost ties with Canberra, reports GlobalPost.
The official visit would take place around the G20 summit which Australia hosts in Brisbane on November 15-16, 2014, said Jean-Pierre Bel, president of the French Senate.
"The president of the republic will come because Australia is playing a key role on the international scene," said Bel, who met Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Tuesday.
"A president of the republic has never visited Australia," he said, adding, "I really, really believe the time has come to strengthen relations with this country."
Read more of this AFP report published by GlobalPost.