Press Advisories

12. 6. 2009 15:10

France supports the Czech Presidency in its preparations for the European Council

Český premiér u francouzského prezidenta / PM Jan Fischer met with President Sarkozy, 12. 6. 2009
Český premiér u francouzského prezidenta / PM Jan Fischer met with President Sarkozy, 12. 6. 2009
Czech Prime Minister and Chairman of the EU Council Jan Fischer today met French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysée Palace.

"Today's discussions have convinced me that we have an excellent chance that the last European Council under the Czech Presidency will be efficiently run and will produce concrete results, in spite of the exceptionally demanding agenda. France is a very important partner for us not just because we form part of the Presidential trio with her. I am therefore pleased that today's discussions have confirmed that France is approaching the European Council in a constructive manner", the Prime Minister said at the press conference. He also added that the French President supports the Czech Presidency in its effort to bring the European Council to agreement on key issues.


According to the Prime Minister, the agenda of the European Council will cover financial and economic issues including European financial supervision and the question of limiting the impact of the recession, discussions on the next Chairman of the European Commission, progress on preparations for the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change and EU foreign policy relations mainly in respect of Afghanistan and Pakistan.


Prime Minister Fischer also said that at the summit he expected approval for the Irish guarantees which would make way for a repeat referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon. "I have agreed with President Sarkozy that the guarantees for Ireland must be sufficiently robust for the citizens of Ireland, but should not give rise to renewed ratification processes in any European Union country, " the Prime Minister added.


The Prime Minister is consulting the European Council's positions for the upcoming June summit with all member states of the European Union - some in person and others by telephone. So far he has visited European Commission Chairman José Manuel Barroso, been received by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and had a meeting on Wednesday with Swedish Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt. On Monday 15th June the Czech Prime Minister will have a meeting with his British opposite number Gordon Brown followed by a speech at Chatham House in London.


Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Jan Kohout and the Minister for European Affairs Štefan Füle have over the last few weeks been conducting complementary consultations with member states with the same objective of preparing the ground for a smooth session of the European Council. Of great importance for this will be the meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council to be held in Luxembourg on 15th and 16th June, which will hold preliminary discussions under Czech chairmanship on the European Council topics.

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