President of France, H.E. François Hollande is paying a state visit to Turkey upon the invitation of President of Turkey, H.E. Abdullah Gül.

At the meetings, all aspects of the bilateral relations, particularly political and economic issues between the two countries were reviewed and the potential areas of cooperation and partnership were discussed. Also, views were exchanged on the recent regional and international developments including the EU.

On the occasion of the visit, nine agreements in various fields, such as science, transportation, environment, energy were signed with a view to consolidating the cooperation between two countries and to enhancing the legal basis of the relations.

Speaking at the joint press conference, President Gül recalled that the history of Turkish-French relations dates back 500 years and said “France has always been a window for Turkey to the West. As part of this, our political and cultural ties have always been very vibrant. Today, we have conducted fruitful talks befitting the depth of our relations.”

Thanking for positive approach of France, especially President Hollande, toward membership process of Turkey with the EU in recent years, “It is obvious that a Turkey which has successfully concluded this process will be very valuable for all French companies in Turkey and for the EU. Therefore, we wish that France will support Turkey in this issue and no political obstacle will be put in front of us so that we can achieve this process” said President Gül.

President Hollande’s visit has particular importance in that this is the first presidential visit from France to Turkey in 22 years.

For detailed information on the visit of President of France : www.tccb.gov.tr