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Macron reassures France’s support for debt restructuring
View(s):Discusses wide-ranging areas of cooperation during 75-minute talks with President at airport
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday expressed strong support to complete Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring process.
He assured support from both the Paris Club Secretariat and the French Government to encourage all other partners to support and expedite the completion of Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring process. Mr Macron’s assurances came during a short official visit to Sri Lanka; the first by a sitting French President.
President Macron’s brief visit came while he was returning to France from a trip to the South Pacific region. He held bilateral discussions with President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Bandaranaike International Airport itself. Discussions between the two leaders focused on strengthening cooperation in various sectors, including politics, economics, tourism, climate change, sustainable development, and maritime activities, the President’s Media Division (PMD) stated.
The French President’s visit also comes at an important juncture in Sri Lanka-France relations, given that this year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Several specific areas of cooperation were also identified during the talks, which lasted one hour and fifteen minutes. These areas included the establishment of a school for maritime safety and security, the opening of a permanent office for the French Agency for Development (AFD) in Sri Lanka, the initiation of high-level diplomatic dialogues, cooperation in the education sector, and the enhancement of efforts to combat human trafficking in the maritime safety and security sector.
Both leaders exchanged views on topics of regional and multilateral interest in the current global context. President Macron expressed keen interest in collaborating with Sri Lanka during its upcoming chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), of which France is a member. In turn, President Wickremesinghe showed interest in the Indian Ocean Commission, where France actively participates, said the PMD.
The French delegation accompanying President Macron included the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna and Ambassador of France in Sri Lanka and Maldives Jean-Francoise Pactet.
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