French National Day Reception



French National Day Reception

Residence of the French Embassy to Korea

July 13, 2012, 12:00

Speech delivered by Fabrice LEGGERI, Chargé d’Affaires a.i.

(Sir)

Members of Parliament,

Your Excellencies,

Ambassadors,

Distinguished guests,

I have the honour and pleasure to welcome you to the French Residence to celebrate France’s National Day, which commemorates the storming of the Bastille fortress on July 14, 1789.

As some of you already know, HE Elisabeth LAURIN has just left the Republic of Korea for her new appointment as Director General for Asia and the Pacific at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Paris. We are awaiting the nomination of a new Ambassador of France to Seoul, who will be arriving in the next few weeks.

Welcome to the French Residence to share with us this opportunity to celebrate the values inscribed in the French Republic's motto: "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité."

Welcome to this moment of friendship, which also gives us the occasion to hail the deep relationship that was forged between France and Korea since the establishing of our diplomatic relations in 1886, and which extends well beyond diplomatic circles, as demonstrated by your numerous and very diverse presence today.

Bilateral relations between France and Korea are strong and substantial. They were strengthened through the hardships the Republic of Korea had to go through in the past. I would like us to remember the French soldiers, young volunteers of the French Battalion of Korea, who fought from 1950 to 1953. 269 of them lost their lives. It is a sacrifice that, in a way, echoes the suffering of the Korean people. This brotherhood in arms has helped forge between our two people links which have never ceased to grow over time.

In recent years, the mutual visits of our Presidents, Prime ministers and ministers, have given a new intensity to our co-operation. Nowadays, France and Korea consult each other on an ever-growing number of international issues addressed at the UN, in the framework of the G20 or in other multilateral fora.

As you know, very important elections were held in France in the spring of this year. Mr François Hollande has been President since May, and a new National Assembly was elected in June. During the very short time since then, and even though European and international events were particularly pressing for the new administration, several high-level meetings have already taken place between French and Korean leaders.

France’s Foreign Minister, Mr Laurent Fabius, met his South Korean counterpart in Los Cabos on the sidelines of the G20 summit, in June. Moreover, the "Shangri-la Dialogue" in Singapore gave an opportunity for Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Defence minister, to hold talks with his South Korean counterpart. Also, Korean high-ranking officials and diplomats met with their counterparts in Paris in early July as part of regular consultations, now well established.

Beyond the personnel changes which necessarily occur in an election year, the French-Korean co-operation is an on-going process because it is now firmly rooted. Many examples could bear testimony to it, in the economic, the scientific or the cultural fields. Did you know for instance that Korean and French regions have entered into twinning and partnerships to facilitate the mutual installation of companies? Did you know that Korean and French people are closely working on a new stage of their co-operation in cinema? Did you know that Koreans and French academics work very closely in the field of mathematical research? A complete list would be too long; I will not be able, unfortunately, to mention everything.

I must therefore conclude on this note of confidence in the future of our Franco-Korean co-operation.

To all of you here today, I wish to say that France, faithful to the values ​​of its Republic, is to remain a committed partner in the service of peace, justice and all the steps that can be taken in the pursuit of a better world.

Long live the Republic of Korea! Vive la France!

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