FRANçOIS MITTERRANDMR. PRESIDENT, TWO YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE YOUR FIRST VISIT TO LONDON FOR AN ANGLO/FRENCH SUMMIT. LAST YEAR YOU GAVE US A WARM AND ELEGANT RECEPTION IN PARIS.
YOU ARE A VERY WELCOME VISITOR—AND I WELCOME TOO ALL THE MINISTERS AND OFFICIALS WHO ARE ACCOMPANYING YOU ON THIS OCCASION.
I BELIEVE THAT KING LOUIS PHILIPPE ONCE SAID THAT THE GREAT SUCCESS OF THE BRITISH NATION IN POLITICAL LIFE WAS DUE TO THEIR TALKING POLITICS AFTER DINNER. [end p1] MR. PRESIDENT, YOU AND I HAVE TALKED POLITICS BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER DINNER AND WE SHALL DO SO AGAIN AFTER BREAKFAST TOMORROW MORNING. IF LOUIS PHILIPPE 'S RECIPE IS RIGHT, GREAT SUCCESS AWAITS US.
COMMENTATORS ENJOY DISCUSSING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRITAIN AND FRANCE. THE STEREOTYPE PICTURE IS ONE OF RIVALRY. IT IS FELT THAT OUR TWO OLD NATIONS, WITH THEIR LONG INDEPENDENT HISTORIES AND PROUD TRADITIONS, EACH THE [end p2] HOME OF GREAT CULTURES, CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO AGREE ON MANY THINGS.
THE TRUTH IS NOT INTERESTING TO THOSE WHO SEEK A STORY OF DISSENSION FOR IN ALL IMPORTANT RESPECTS WE ARE CLOSE PARTNERS AND ALLIES.
WE ARE BOTH DETERMINED TO DEFEND OUR WAY OF LIFE. THE SECURITY FRONTIERS NOT JUST OF FRANCE BUT OF BRITAIN TOO LIE IN THE MAINLAND OF EUROPE. [end p3]
WE SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE ON WESTERN SECURITY INTERESTS AND PARTICULARLY SO AT THIS CRITICAL TIME WHEN INF DEPLOYMENT APPROACHES. WE BOTH BELIEVE THAT THE SOVIET THREAT MUST BE SEEN CLEARLY AND THAT IN THE FACE OF IT OUR DEFENCES MUST BE STRONG. WE BOTH REJECT THE SOVIET ATTEMPT TO INCLUDE IN THE INF NEGOTIATIONS THE INDEPENDENT STRATEGIC DETERRENTS OF BRITAIN AND FRANCE. YOU AND I, MR. PRESIDENT, SHARE IDENTICAL VIEWS ON THE NEED FOR OUR NATIONAL DETERRENTS. [end p4]
WE BOTH VALUE OUR MEMBERSHIP OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY. A BRITISH STATESMAN ONCE SAID “WE ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY OF EUROPE AND WE MUST DO OUR DUTY AS SUCH” . A MODERN SOUNDING SENTIMENT? YES. BUT THE SPEAKER WAS GLADSTONE IN 1888. BRITAIN'S NEED TO BE PART OF A STRONG AND SUCCESSFUL EUROPEAN COMMUNITY IS MANY TIMES GREATER TODAY. AND THE LAST GENERAL ELECTION IN THIS COUNTRY BURIED FOREVER THE ISSUE OF BRITISH MEMBERSHIP. [end p5]
BOTH OUR COUNTRIES SEEK AN EARLY RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEMS WHICH CONFRONT THE COMMUNITY AS WE APPROACH THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL IN ATHENS IN DECEMBER. TOMORROW MR. PRESIDENT, YOU AND I WILL TURN OUR MINDS TO THESE PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE THAT WE SHALL FIND MUCH COMMON GROUND.
AT OUR LAST SUMMIT IN PARIS WE AGREED TO STRENGTHEN BILATERAL CONTACTS BETWEEN OUR TWO GOVERNMENTS. I HAVE STUDIED THE LIST OF THE MEETINGS WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE SINCE THEN. [end p6] I HAVE DECIDED, AS A RESULT, TO MAKE A PERSONAL INVESTMENT IN CROSS-CHANNEL TRANSPORT. BUT IT HAS BEEN USEFUL. THE RANGE OF OUR COMMON INTERESTS, ILLUSTRATED BY THESE CONTACTS, IS REMARKABLE. AND THAT CO-OPERATION IS MATCHED BY GROWING CONTACT BETWEEN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY IN BOTH COUNTRIES. THERE IS NEW SCOPE FOR INDUSTRIAL COLLABORATION BETWEEN BRITAIN AND FRANCE—AND DURING THIS SUMMIT WE SHALL BE SEEKING TO IDENTIFY THE MOST PROMISING AREAS FOR GENUINELY PRACTICAL CO-OPERATION. [end p7]
MR. PRESIDENT, BRITAIN AND FRANCE NEED EACH OTHER. EUROPE NEEDS US TOGETHER. OUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO PEACE, DEMOCRACY, INDUSTRY AND CULTURE MAY BE DIFFERENT, BUT THEY ARE PARALLEL AND IRREPLACEABLE. AS THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ENTENTE CORDIALE APPROACHES, YOU CAN COUNT ON THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO SEEK TO REFRESH AND DEEPEN OUR RELATIONSHIP.