Franco-Luxembourg relations were welcomed during Jean Asselborn's meeting with French Foreign Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, in Paris on Thursday 28 April 2016.
The two Ministers of Foreign Affairs took stock of the two countries' bilateral relations and discussed areas of common interest before addressing in depth key issues in European and international politics.
The two politicians discussed ways of enhancing cooperation between the two neighbours in areas of common interest, with particular emphasis on the importance of cross-border cooperation. Minister Asselborn highlighted the Grand Duchy's will for the Cattenom nuclear power plant be among the first plants to close as part of the energy transition initiated by France. A petition to this effect was started in early March 2016 by Luxembourg resident Marc Schmit who claimed that "a meltdown in the facility would not be manageable". The petition has now reached 9,770 signatures at the time of writing.
The ministers then spoke on major events in European politics, highlighting the importance of the preserving the European acquis and common values. In this context, they exchanged views on ways to revive a true European dynamic, citing it as the only way to meet the challenges facing the Union and meet the expectations of citizens.
The meeting also involved an update on recent developments in migration, including by addressing the implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement, before speaking on the situation in Ukraine and relations between the EU and Russia.
The latest developments in the Middle East were also on the agenda. After referring to the situation in Libya, the ministers exchanged views on Syria and the ongoing negotiations in Geneva between representatives of the Syiran regime and the opposition. Regarding the situation in the Middle East, the discussions took stock of French initiatives in the region and in particular on the forthcoming international conference to revive the peace process.
Photo by MAEE (L-R): Jean Asselborn, Jean-Marc Ayrault
