PHNO-HL: PNoy SAYS 'BIENVENUE' TO FRENCH PRIME MINISTER

PNoy SAYS 'BIENVENUE' TO FRENCH PRIME
MINISTER

[PHOTO - BONJOUR.
French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault (center) acknowledges the arrival honors
given to him by President Aquino on the Malacañang grounds on Friday shortly
before their bilateral talks on biomass energy and a grand Philippine exhibit in
a French museum. Ayrault is the first French head of government to visit the
country. LYN RILLON]
MANILA, OCTOBER 22, 2012 (INQUIRER) By TJ Burgonio - The visit
of French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, the first by a French leader in 65
years, indicated the "deepening relationship" with the Philippines and a sign
that France was ready to engage the Philippines as a "vibrant and dynamic
partner," officials said Friday.
Following talks with Ayrault and witnessing the signing of two agreements
with France in Malacañang Friday night, President Benigno Aquino III said the
visit was "an affirmation of how we value the development of a more dynamic and
robust partnership" between the two nations.
"This is a partnership that enjoys a firm foundation," Mr. Aquino said,
citing the visit of his mother, the late President Corazon C. Aquino, to France
in 1989.
Mr. Aquino's late mother was an honored guest during the bicentennial of the
French Revolution in 1989.
Mr. Aquino conveyed the Filipino people's gratitude to France for being
one—the first nation—to extend recognition to his mother's government following
the ouster of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos by a people's uprising that was
hailed around the world.
He said France has remained a partner in "upholding democracy and pursuing
development."
Wide-ranging talks
Mr. Aquino and Ayrault tackled a wide range of issues, including boosting
trade, economic and cultural ties, as well as regional security and the
Philippines' territorial maritime dispute with China.
"On matters of regional and international concerns, especially with regard to
maritime territorial disputes, the Philippines and France shared a commitment to
peaceful settlement on rules-based approach in accordance with universally
recognized principles of international law," Mr. Aquino said.
Both countries agreed to reactivate their "political consultations process,"
hoping that it would lead to a more focused and coherent direction to bilateral
engagement, the President said.
The visit by Ayrault sent a "strong signal" that French companies are
noticing the reforms initiated by the administration and the positive economic
developments, he said.
Praise for Aquino
Ayrault said the warm reception was a sign of the "great friendship" between
two people. He said his visit was the first by a French head of government, and
he was "particularly happy" to be in Manila.
He praised Mr. Aquino for his own "struggle" for liberty, freedom and
democracy, and vision to bring development to the country, and for his role in
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
"You never gave in, you never gave up," he said, recalling the 1983
assassination of his father, the late Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., and the death of
his mother in 2009.
"You've always fought for peaceful settlement of disputes in this region, be
it domestically or be it with other countries," the prime minister added.
Ayrault said he looked forward to a "healthy trade with the Philippines." He
said the Philippine strategy for economic development "builds trust of
investors" in the country.
"This is a good time to improve trust and confidence by investors because we
do want to restore healthy exchanges, economically speaking and in terms of
trade. We would like a healthy balance of trade," he said.
Grand exhibition
Ayrault pledged a grant from France of $482,204 (P20 million) for the study
of biomass energy production. The grant will fund a feasibility study on the use
of rice straw to generate electricity with a view to installing power stations
in rural areas and replicating these in other rice-producing countries of
Southeast Asia.
The two leaders also witnessed the signing of an agreement for the holding of
a grand exhibition to be called "Philippines—Art of Exchange" in Paris, to run
from April 9 to July 21, 2013, at Musée du Quai Branly.
The French prime minister invited Mr. Aquino to visit France and open the
exhibition.
The Quai Branly Museum is France's premier museum for indigenous arts and
culture, and features the art, cultures and civilizations of Africa, Asia,
Oceania and the Americas.
Philippine foreign affairs officials said the exhibition would place the
Philippines on the cultural map of France and draw thousands of foreign visitors
and generate wide publicity for the country.
Head of gov't
The Philippines and Singapore will be the first Asian countries to be visited
by Ayrault, who heads the government and the Cabinet of France. President
Francois Hollande is France's head of state.
Ayrault, who was appointed last May, served as mayor of Nantes, France's
sixth largest city, from 1989 to 2012. He led the ruling French Socialist Party
in the National Assembly from 1997 to 2012. He is one of the closest advisers to
President Hollande.
"It's the first time that the prime minister [is visiting] the Philippines.
And it's significant in the sense that it sends the signal that there's a
renewed interest in the Philippines after the 1986 People Power Revolution,"
said deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte.
Economic relations between the two countries have been steadily growing since
establishing diplomatic relations in 1947. Bilateral trade totaled $1.143
billion in 2011, with French investments reaching P1.145 billion, the officials
said.
Ayrault and his 130-member delegation were given arrival honors on the Palace
grounds Friday before the two leaders sat down for bilateral talks.
Later in the evening, the President hosted a state dinner for Ayrault and
visiting French officials at Rizal Ceremonial Hall.


Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved




PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet

This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.

To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/

(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
phno-digest@yahoogroups.com
phno-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/