FORMAT NORMANDIE IS STILL RELEVANT & CONGRATULATE U.S.A DISCUSSING WITH RUSSIA

USPA NEWS - The French President, Emmanuel Macron, met with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, during a working lunch, Tuesday January 11, 2022 at the Elysée Palace. This interview comes within the framework of the launch of the French presidency of the Council of the European Union. It will be a question of addressing the program of the French presidency, in particular in its main priorities, as well as the events which will be organized at the level of the heads of state and government. During the press conference that followed the bilateral meeting, President Macron and Charles mIchel answered journalists' questions, and especially about the Ukraine-Russia crisis, while negotiations are taking place in Brussels and then Geneva between the stop American diplomats with their Russian counterparts, about this same Ukraine-Russia crisis. On Wednesday, a NATO-Russia council will be held and on Thursday a meeting with the OSCE, in order to achieve a de-escalation and the easing of tensions between the two neighboring countries.
President Macron said that "Format Normandie plays a structuring role and France and Germany and the European Union will continue to support it"

FORMAT NORMANDIE IS STILL RELEVANT AND IT IS A GOOD THING THAT THE U.S.A DISCUSSES WITH RUSSIA PRESIDENT MACRON SAID-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The French President, Emmanuel Macron, met with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, during a working lunch, Tuesday January 11, 2022 at the Elysée Palace. This interview comes within the framework of the launch of the French presidency of the Council of the European Union. It will be a question of addressing the program of the French presidency, in particular in its main priorities, as well as the events which will be organized at the level of the heads of state and government. During the press conference that followed the bilateral meeting, President Macron and Charles mIchel answered journalists' questions, and especially about the Ukraine-Russia crisis, while negotiations are taking place in Brussels and then Geneva between the stop American diplomats with their Russian counterparts, about this same Ukraine-Russia crisis. On Wednesday, a NATO-Russia council will be held and on Thursday a meeting with the OSCE, in order to achieve a de-escalation and the easing of tensions between the two neighboring countries. President Macron replied to journalists who would list on the absence of Europeans on the negotiation table with the Russians, that "Format Normandie plays a structuring role and France and Germany and the European Union will continue to support it" he added with regard to the US-Russian discussion “That there is an American re-engagement on this and other subjects is a good thing. We must congratulate ourselves on this. " The two leaders also covered the following subjects: future events programs under the French Presidency a future “One Ocean” Summit in Brest on February 11, a European Union - African Union Summit in Brussels on February 17 and 18, an informal Summit on the new European model of growth and investment in France on March 10 and 11, as well as a Conference on the Western Balkans in June 2022.

FORMAT NORAMNDIE IS A RELEVANT DISCUSSION FORUM FOR THE RESOLUTION OF THE UKRAINE CRISIS". PRES. MACRON SAID------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "We have been able to see with the President of the European Council, Charles Michels the coming months and weeks, we know it is our duty to build a Europe which takes hold of its contemporary debates, and which is stronger in the world. A large part of our great discussions and international issues is the place of the European Union on Russia and Ukraine. First of all, we defend an approach which shows firmness in the face of any threat of aggression and maintaining our dialogue in order to find appeasement, and our will is to build a common security architecture in Europe, for ourselves and our neighborhood. I think this is our responsibility as a complement to the strategic compass, and to continue this work in the coming weeks and months. In this context, and in this regard, the Format Normandie plays a structuring role and France and Germany and the European Union will continue to support it. In this context, our responsibility in Europe is also to continue the work and the relationship between China and the Eu, and in particular the targeted actions in Lithuania, which concerns us and on this aspect of this approach is that of unity, and solidarity, but also the will to move the SinoEurope discussion and structuring forward. The climate is part of it, the African continent, the necessity and in the coming weeks the capacity to move this agenda forward.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Africa, we will have an important summit in February in Brussels and we spoke at length with Charles Michel, our common desire is to build a new Alliance, to recast our EU-AU (European Union / AfricanUnion) partnership and to to do somehow with and for our young people, in order to reduce inequalities, respond to health challenges, propose investment solutions in green infrastructure, support prosperity and peace, promote more sustainable mobility and also find effective mechanisms to fight illegal immigration, in particular the fight against trafficking and smugglers. these will be the main summits that I have mentioned, which we will organize together with President Michel with a close link with President Von Der yen and all the Member States. And in the coming weeks we will have an important meeting, the Un Ocean Summit on February 11 in Brest. Europe has a vision to promote in this area on climate change, the preservation of biodiversity, the fight against pollution, the fight against illegal fishing and we will be able to carry this common ambition and advance the governance of the 'Ocean and his knowledge. Finally, the informal Summit of March 10 and 11, on the new growth model, will be an opportunity for us to advance digital, secrecy and defense, our common investments, our common wills, which builds our sovereignty even in the macroeconomic mode. , which result from it, ie the resulting investment and growth choices. I am only covering part of the subjects that will animate the coming weeks and months, which we have obviously talked about, we are starting from other legislative priorities and other subjects are advancing within the framework of the trilogues, and discussions within the European Council. , with numerical and different maturity whether it is about the numerical or migratory subject or the subjects of social Europe. I don't want to be too long and want to thank Charles Michel today for his visit to Paris and thank him for this very fruitful exchange, and tell him that I am looking forward to all the common work that we will have in the coming weeks. and months, with this desire to move our Europe forward together and to do useful work. Thank you dear Charles. » President Macron said

CHARLES MICHEL PRAISES THE LEADERSHIP OF FRENCH PRESIDENCY OF EUROPEAN UNION AND PRESIDENT MACRON IN PARTICULAR------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Thank you resident for allowing us to work together the next few summer months within the framework of this PFUE, which I am sure will give impetus to the subjects that you have mentioned and which are essential for the Europeans of the future of the EU.I would of course also like to associate myself with the tribute you have expressed to the opinion of the President of Parliament David Sassoli and would like to extend my condolences to his family and relatives. David Sassoli is a great passionate, sincere, generous, genuine European and we had recently had the opportunity to work a lot with him on a daily basis to promote these European values ??of democracy and the rule of law. He is a man who has contributed with skill, intelligence and elegance to forging important decisions at the head of the European Parliament, also in cooperation with the European Council.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regarding the subjects that are on the EU's agenda, I would like to mention some of them, after our discussions to prepare the next meetings and to articulate the EU African summit, which will be held in February and for which we have a common ambition widely shared in Europe and Africa to build a new Alliance. In Africa and Europe, we are going to think of a common destiny and collect more models of prosperity and security and we hope that this meeting will be the moment to decide on this new paradigm. This EU Alliance -Africa for which we have great ambition, whether in the field of investments, climate change, digital revolution, infrastructure, connectivity, security or even governance. We will also have the opportunity in the coming weeks to gradually move from the COVID crisis which had put us under pressure to the consolidation of an economic recovery project, around innovation, investments, and European collective intelligence. I really want to salute the leadership of the French Presidency and President Macron in particular, for a long time already, this debate on this idea of ??European sovereignty, of "Strategic Autonomy" that some call it, which is based on two pillars of secrecy and defense, of course, which is linked to the international geopolitical situation. The President has said a few words if a few moments ago, but also in connection with our need to consolidate our economic model of prosperity and in this, the French presidency, which will hold this summit in this direction in March is based on the investment and growth will be an important moment for the European project. Because it will be an opportunity with all the European players to look each other in the eyes and to draw together common strategies in terms of innovation, investments and coveted priorities for these years. I am sure this will be an important moment that we will continue to prepare thoroughly. Finally, it is certain that other meetings will be very important, such as the digital issue which will remain important on the European agenda to be able to innovate and design these European standards, which combine economic capacity with respect for our fundamental values, such as personal life for example data, the climate agenda of course with the measures to implement ambitious objectives. We decided together the climate neutralist for the horizon of 2050, with necessarily our objectives by 2030. And then, in a word again, we are going to be very active on the international field, in relation to the relationship with Africa, we can clearly see that in certain places there are tectonic plates, which are in motion geopolitically and it is time for the European Union to assert its ambition of coordination, for stability and security. The strategic compass which has been a debate for a while now and we will certainly soon have the opportunity in March to make advances to progress on this subject which is important to us and which must mobilize us for security and stability. Thank you again for this opportunity to work together today and you can count on all the mobilization of the European Council in close collaboration with you personally and all of your teams, to ensure that this French Presidency is a strong Presidency, and useful for advancing this project which brings us together. Thank you " Charles Michel said

FORMAT NORMANDIE IS STILL RELEVANT AND IT "IS A DEMANDING AND RELEVANT DISCUSSION FORUM FOR THE RESOLUTION OF THE UKRAINE CRISIS". PRES. MACRON SAID-------------------------------------------------- QUESTION FRANCOIS BADONNET FRANCE TV: "Mr President of the Republic, I would like to come back to what you said about Ukraine, you spoke of firmness and dialogue, but there is no dialogue for the EU, as far as Ukraine is concerned. since neither the European Council nor the European Commission are included in the discussions which started yesterday in Geneva. What is the reason for this absence or because aRussia has not invited the EU to participate in these discussions, or because you consider that the two institutions are not material to be active in foreign policy and this morning, the president Ukrainian called for a quadripartite summit, ie the Normandy Format Normandie which you spoke of earlier: again the European institutions are not even called to participate in the discussions ?"------------------------------------------------------------ ANSWER PRESIDENT MACRON: For the second part of your question helps partially answer the first half. Europe since the 1st day is involved in the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict by the Minsk Agreements and the Normandy Format, or I remind you there are Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France, ie two European powers who act as guarantors of this process on behalf of their colleagues with reports, which are made very regularly during the European Council. So Europe has been there since the first day, and President Zelensky has only recalled what we believe, and which will be at the heart of the exchange that I had a few days ago with the President Putin, the Normandy Format retains its relevance and remains a demanding and relevant discussion forum for the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis.---------------------------------------------------------------------- That there is a US re-engagement on this and other matters is a good thing. We must congratulate ourselves on this. And so the ongoing discussions between the United States of America and Russia, concerning the Ukrainian question, but not only, ie also questions of collective security, between these two powers. This is a very good thing. I think we should not be embarrassed, or I see the criticism of comments that this dialogue continues. It is complementary and comes to reinforce it and moreover it is these discussions which undoubtedly led to reactivate these more recent positions. So firstly, Europe is there through the Nomandie Format, and Europe takes care of Ukraine and will continue through Germany and France, become it's a good thing that the United States and Russia speak and they are going to talk about subjects which concern them both but when it comes to the security of Europe it is up to Europe to speak. And so our position is that on the subject of European collective security of arms control in Europe and in the European neighborhood of its borders, of armaments and missiles which can affect European territory ... these subjects came to give rise to discussions and of positions taken at that moment, it will be up to Europe and the Institutions and Member States, in particular the Member States endowed like the Farce to be around the table and to decide for themselves. And this is also why we have in the Stuff and German Presidency launch this so-called strategic compass exercise and that is why we are going to continue this work about which I had spoken in 2019 of a European security architecture. that we must think for our meme and then share with our allies to the sound of NATO, with our voices in particular and with Russia." President Macron answered---------------------------------------------------- ANSWER CHARLES MICHEL: « I just want to support by saying that there is a very growing European awareness of the need to get together and coordinate and act more and more together for the statuette of security within the European Union and European soils. The European Council would have extremely welcome lowering the strategic question of our relationship with other countries in the world through the guarantee of our security and stability and with regard to Ukraine to remain systematically between support for the surrounding of the agreements of Minsk and the importance of reporting and discussing with our European colleagues the Format Normandie process » Charles Michel concluded.../