French Prime Minister arrives for a brief visit

French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe is accompanied by Préfète Anne Laubies as he walks towards waiting journalists at Grand Case Airport on Sunday evening.

French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe (centre) with President of the Collectivité Daniel Gibbs and National Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer (right).

MARIGOT–French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe arrived for his first official visit to St. Martin last night accompanied by a number of cabinet ministers for what will be a very short tour of the French side this morning before departing for St. Barths in the afternoon.

  The Prime Minister’s military plane touched down at Grand Case Airport around 7:30pm. He was welcomed by Préfète Anne Laubies, Senator Guillaume Arnell and President of the Collectivité, Daniel Gibbs.

  In the delegation are Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, Minister of Overseas Territories Annick Girardin, Minister of Sports Laura Flessel (a former Olympic fencing champion), State Secretary to the Minister of Ecology Transition Sébastein Cornu and State Secretary to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean Baptiste Lemoyne, and the Prime Minister’s own security detail. 

  Philippe made a few statements to the national media, but took no questions. Some 30 members of the French national media are accompanying him on this visit, which has also included Guadeloupe.  Local media were largely kept in the background. He then inspected an honour guard of Police aux Frontières (PAF) and engaged in some exchanges.

  Philippe’s visit is in connection with the ongoing work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Reconstruction of St. Martin and St. Barths. He is expected to talk to business professionals whose businesses have been destroyed or damaged by the hurricanes, greet citizens and meet members of the services who have been on the front line of the recovery phase.

   The first item on his agenda this morning is visiting the St. Clair Maximin School in French Quarter from 7:30 to 9:00am. He then meets Gendarme Reservists, also in French Quarter. At 10:00am he is in Hope Estate, Grand Case, to meet business owners there. At 11:00am he will be meeting with President Gibbs before giving a speech.

French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe (centre) with President of the Collectivité Daniel Gibbs and National Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer (right).

 

French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe (partly hidden) talks to journalists on arrival at Grand Case Airport last night as President of the Collectivité Daniel Gibbs and Senator Guillaume Arnell listen in the background.

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/70729-french-prime-minister-arrives-for-a-brief-visit

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