ASFE Association, Always at your side when abroad

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna made her first international trip today; she traveled to Berlin where she will meet with her German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock.
She will express our ongoing commitment to French-German cooperation in support of Europe and the tackling of major international challenges, especially now when France holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union and Germany the G7 presidency.
Ahead of the European Council meeting of May (…)

France applauds the results of the meeting held in Brussels on May 22 between President Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Pashinyan of Armenia. Held at the initiative of European Council President Charles Michel, this meeting led the two parties to agree to hold a meeting of the Bilateral Border Commission in the very near future.
France reaffirms its support for the dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan under the auspices of the EU and will contribute to this dialogue in a (…)

Q: The British Government has signaled its intention to introduce a bill in the next few weeks to modify the Northern Ireland Protocol. What is Paris's message to the British authorities?
A: The European Union cannot agree to the United Kingdom unilaterally challenging the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland. The European Union set out several areas of flexibility, strictly in accordance with the legal framework which we agreed and which was approved by both the European Union and the (…)

Q: Aren't you afraid that talking about Ukraine's potential EU membership taking 15 to 20 years could send a negative signal to Kyiv?
A: We applauded Ukraine's request to join the EU. It is currently being examined by the European Commission and will be discussed by the heads of State and government at the European Council meeting in June.
As President Macron said on May 9, and the Minister Delegate for European Affairs said yesterday, Ukraine is part of the European family.
President (…)

Q: Do you think that Turkish opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO is a bilateral issue only, or is France prepared to play a role to unblock this situation?
A: France applauded and expressed its support for the sovereign decisions taken by Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership. Membership decisions are made by the Alliance's 30 members. We hope current discussions will quickly achieve a positive outcome and we are in touch with the parties involved. We support the (…)

From 26 May to 11 June 2022, France is honouring Latin America and the Caribbean. With over 300 cultural, scientific, political, economic and festive events organized on site and online, this 9th edition of Latin American and Caribbean Week (#SALC2022) is an opportunity to promote the historic and contemporary relations between Latin America and France, while enabling the French public to get to know the region better.
Contents
• A particularly wide-ranging programme • A lasting initiative (…)

Mme Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, spoke on the telephone today to her US counterpart, Mr Antony Blinken.

Mme Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, spoke on the telephone today to her German counterpart, Ms Annalena Baerbock.

As part of our support for Ukraine, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has conducted its 14th emergency humanitarian operation.
The Crisis and Support Center of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs chartered its first special medical flight today to airlift seven Ukrainian war-wounded and three Ukrainian children with cancer, accompanied by their caregivers, from Poland to France. Hospitals throughout France are standing by to treat these patients, whose care will be (…)

Q: The elections in Lebanon unfolded amid relative calm. Have you had any feedback from the EU delegation of election observers about supposed fraud? What will France's next step be, given that the balance of power is nearly equal, presaging a parliamentary deadlock? A: With regard to Lebanon's legislative elections, held on May 15, please consult the statement we issued on May 17. As we emphasized, this is an important step for Lebanon in light of the serious crisis that has prevailed in (…)