French President Discusses Strengthening Bilateral Relations with Dutch Prime Minister

Paris, Sept 3 (KUNA) -- French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten on ways to strengthen bilateral relations and their shared priorities to bolster European sovereignty amid significant imbalances and profound economic and technological shifts on the international stage. The French presidency (Elysee) said in a statement on Thursday that these discussions took place during Macron’s visit to the city of Eindhoven, leading a delegation of French companies including Mistral AI, where he visited the headquarters of the Dutch company ASML, one of the leading European firms in the semiconductor sector. The statement clarified that Macron met with leaders of several European technology companies, particularly those involved in the Tech Creators initiative, to explore ways to support innovation, enhance European industrial capacities, establish a European technological advantage, and reduce reliance on external sources for biotechnologies, thereby strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy. In a related development, the French president congratulated his Estonian counterpart, Olari Märsi, on Thursday on her victory in the presidential elections. Macron said on his X social media platform, “I congratulate Olari Märsi on her election as President of Estonia,” adding that “her long-standing commitment to the rule of law and democratic freedoms is a source of pride for our shared values.” He also expressed his gratitude to outgoing Estonian President Alar Karis for his contributions during “five years of exemplary cooperation,” emphasizing that this collaboration had significantly strengthened the strategic partnership between Estonia and France to an unprecedented degree for the security of Europe and Europeans. Olari Märsi, who will be Estonia’s seventh president, is scheduled to take the oath of office on October 12. (End) m.b / a.m.s