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Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot was in Berlin, Germany, on March 17 and 18.
This visit, which follows the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels and immediately precedes the European Council meeting, illustrates the close and constant cooperation that exists between France and Germany at the heart of Europe. The Minister addressed the German Cabinet in accordance with the provision contained in the bilateral Aachen Treaty stating that a member of the Government (…)

France strongly condemns the March 16th air strike on a Kabul hospital that killed numerous civilians.
We express our heartfelt solidarity with the victims and their loved ones, and offer them our condolences.
International humanitarian law applies to everyone and must ensure the protection of civilian populations. Humanitarian workers must be guaranteed free access to Afghan territory in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolution (…)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot took part in the European Union Foreign Affairs Council meeting held on March 16 in Brussels. The Ministers began by discussing the evolution and adaptation of Europe's security strategy.
The Minister took part in a discussion on the consequences of the Middle East crisis for the war in Ukraine, during which the participants reaffirmed the EU's long-term support for Ukraine. The Ministers also met with Indian Minister of External (…)

At the March 16th Foreign Affairs Council meeting held in Brussels, member states adopted new listings under the European Union (EU) cyber sanctions regime. Today, the EU is imposing these restrictive measures on the private cyber offensive ecosystem that equips the malicious actors targeting France and Europe.
Among the new entities listed are the private Iranian company Emennet Pasargad, which conducted cyberattacks and information manipulation campaigns in France against the newspaper (…)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot paid a working visit to the Central African city of Bangui on March 12 and 13.
During his visit to the Central African Republic, he met with Sylvie Notefe, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francophonie and Central African Nationals Abroad. The two Ministers discussed the bilateral relationship between the CAR and France, as well as major regional and international issues of common interest.
The two officials also reaffirmed their (…)

France strongly condemns the shots fired several times at soldiers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) yesterday. These attacks from non-state armed groups are unacceptable.
France calls on all the parties to show restraint, return to the ceasefire of 26 November 2024 and comply with Security Council Resolution 1701. Hezbollah must end its operations and hand in its weapons. Israel must abandon its ground offensive, end its massive strikes and respect Lebanon's (…)

The United Kingdom hosted the 9th Tallinn Mechanism Meeting at the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office in London on the 9th and 10th March 2026.
The Tallinn Mechanism has once again laid down a commitment to deliver civilian cyber security needs and projects to Ukraine, to support national resilience in the face of persistent state cyber attacks from Russia. €302.6 million has been committed since December 2023 with most members to commit additional funds throughout 2026.
As the (…)

Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, spoke on the telephone to his Algerian counterpart, Ahmed Attaf, on 15 March 2026.
The ministers discussed the main diplomatic issues of common interest in Africa and the Middle East – first and foremost the regional escalation around Iran and the recent high-level discussions on Western Sahara.
The ministers talked about the key issues surrounding the relaunch of bilateral cooperation, especially in the areas of security and (…)

The situation of hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Lebanon is an issue of grave concern. Given the emergency, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) is playing an active role. In partnership with the company CMA CGM, the MEAE's Crisis and Support Centre (CDCS) shipped nearly 60 tonnes of humanitarian aid on Thursday 12 March.
M. Nicolas Forissier, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, M. Philippe Tabarot, Minister for Transport, and Mme Tanya Saadé, President of the CMA (…)

Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, spoke on 11 March 2026 to Mr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India's Minister of External Affairs.
The two ministers flagged their concern about recent developments in the Middle East and, in particular, talked about the ways and means of restoring the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
They agreed to continue their exchanges, with a view to working jointly to de-escalate tensions, particularly on the occasion of the Foreign (…)