I welcome the American authorities’ announcement on 2 April 2021 of the lifting of sanctions hitting the International Criminal Court, particularly Ms Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, and Mr Phakiso Mochochoko, Head of the Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division.
This decision is excellent news for all those committed to helping fight impunity, to multilateralism and to an international order based on the rule of law.
France reaffirms its unfailing support for the International Criminal Court and its staff, independence and continued efforts to improve the way it operates. It will continue to cooperate actively with the Court.
International Criminal Court - Announcement of the lifting of sanctions by the United States - Statement by Jean-Yves Le Drian (2 Apr. 2021)
France and Germany are concerned by the growing number of ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine, which come after the situation had stabilised since July 2020. We are closely monitoring the situation and in particular Russian troop movements, and call on all sides to show restraint and to work towards the immediate de-escalation of tensions.
We reaffirm our support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. As mediators in the Normandy format, France and Germany are continuing their efforts to see the Minsk agreements implemented in full, and regular negotiations are being held to that end.
franck Riester, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is visiting Geneva today.
Alongside Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, Finance and the Recovery, Franck Riester will meet with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO). They will underscore the need for ambitious WTO reform that will make it possible to preserve the rules-based multilateral trade system, include sustainable development and guarantee fair trade. They will also reaffirm the need to re-establish the Appellate Body for dispute resolution.
The minister delegate will also meet with Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Pascal Faure, Director General of the French National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), with whom he will discuss issues relating to innovation, intellectual property and attractiveness. He will reaffirm the importance of pr
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The minister delegate and Elizabeth (…)
British Ambassador to France: Lord Edward Llewellyn (since 9 November 2016)
Political relations
Our bilateral relations are driven by frequent contact at all levels and regular summits such as the 35th UK-France Summit which was held at the Sandhurst Military Academy on 18 January 2018. France and the United Kingdom are the only two European countries with nuclear weapons and are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Both have international ambitions and the political and military tools to match, often sharing similar approaches.
Defence cooperation
Defence cooperation is the most structural component of our bilateral relationship. Together, our combined defence budgets account for half the defence spending of the European Union. Defence cooperation between France and the UK is governed by the 2010 Lancaster House Treaties