MINISTER FOR Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore said yesterday he had told his French counterpart that France’s opposition to Ireland securing a reduction in the cost of the EU-IMF bailout has the potential to damage Irish-French relations.
At Dromoland Castle in Co Clare yesterday for the annual American Ireland Fund conference, Mr Gilmore said he had met French foreign minister Alain Juppé. “I did say to him that I was concerned that if this issue did prolong and if there wasn’t a resolution on it, I could see the potential for damage to Irish-French relations and to be fair, he acknowledged that,” Mr Gilmore said.
He added: “We were both of a view that that would be a great pity, because there has traditionally been a very strong relationship between Ireland and France, not just at a governmental level and a state level, but there is a huge relationship between Ireland and France.”
He said: “Think of the number of Irish people who visit France every year; the number of Irish people who have properties there, who have business interests there, the amount of trade there is between the two countries.”
Mr Gilmore said damaged relations was “something that both countries and both governments would try to avoid. I think that is not going to become an issue, because I think we are going to be able to resolve it.”
Mr Gilmore said “it doesn’t make sense and is not fair” that the lowering of the interest rate is being withheld from Ireland.
“Broadly speaking, we have won the support of most European countries for that and I hope it will not be too long before the objections raised by France will be able to be lifted. Ireland is the country that is complying with the terms of its programme. The troika has confirmed that Ireland is meeting its targets. It seems a bit strange that the country that is meeting its targets – that is the best prospect of recovery in Europe – is the country to whom the lower rate of interest is being withheld,” he said.
