By Baron Henri Estramant
French President, François Hollande, paid an official visit to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on 6 March 2015. His delegation included Minister of Finance and Public Accounts, M Michel Sapin, Secretary of State in charge of European Affairs at the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, M Harlem Désir, Secretary of State for Budgetary Affairs, M Christian Eckert and Secretary of State for Veterans and Historic Memory, M Jean-Marc Todeschini.
Upon his arrival at Luxembourg International Airport, President Hollande was met by the Luxembourgish Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn as well as Minister of Family and Integration, Minister for the “Grande Région”, Corinne Cahen.
President Hollande was first welcomed for a courtesy call by Their Royal Highnesses The Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg, followed by a working lunch at the Château de Senningen hosted by Luxembourg’s Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel. Conversations included bilateral ties in the economic and political fields, likewise the preparations for the Luxemburgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second semester of 2015. Moreover the ongoing troubles in Ukraine as well as the Paris Conference on climate change.
At the SES, Château de Betzdorf, François Hollande, the Grand Ducal Couple and PM Xavier Bettel toured the centre of satellite control which is used by France.
The Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City Centre was the location for the top level rendezvous between President Hollande, and the President of the Chamber of Deputies, M. Mars Di Bartolomeo as well as Foreign and European Affairs Minister, Jean Asselborn. Meanwhile Finance Minister Michel Sapin encountered his counterpart from Luxembourg Pierre Gramegna, at the Ministry of Finance.
The visit ended with a gala dinner organised by the Grand Ducal Couple in honour of the French president and his visiting delegation at the Grand Ducal Palace.
