France and Ireland have always maintained ties of friendship and co-operation. From St Patrick and St Colomban to the Tour de France '98, from the thousands of "Wild Geese" welcomed in the 17th and 18th centuries and the two attempted French landings in Ireland in 1796 and 1798, the events which unite us and contribute to the empathy of our two peoples have become too countless to enumerate.

The regular and passionate meetings of our two national rugby teams are not the only contributing factor. The European project, in which both our countries are actively participating, is at the centre of our future relations.

However, our everyday bilateral relations are not as strong as they ought to be. From an economic and commercial point of view, our trade figures and level of investment do not reflect accurately the remarkable performance of the Irish economy in recent years.

Today, France is Ireland's fourth customer and fifth supplier and our trade, although structurally in deficit, is constantly progressing. We must do better, and the new National Development Programme adopted by the Government gives us that opportunity. I am delighted by the interest shown by our companies, as I am by the growing number of our compatriots who come to contribute to the development of this island, drawn by the abundance of employment and opportunities available in a booming market.

On a cultural level, the success of our educational and linguistic co-operation with schools and universities takes on a new dimension with the launch of an early teaching programme of foreign languages by the Ministry of National Education which has our total support. The work of the Alliance Francaise and the recent establishment of the French Lycee of Ireland participate in this renewal.

Our efforts also encompass developing scientific co-operation in very specific areas thereby serving our mutual interests and a growth in our artistic exchanges, the first meeting of French and Irish writers last April on the theme of "l'etonnant voyageur" being a very encouraging start.

The common destiny which we share within the European Union brings us a little closer every day. Our countries have no major issues of contention and there is no reason for this to change in the future. We sometimes have different approaches to important European questions but we share the desire to find a middle ground and to resolve these differences on the basis of co-operation.

As France takes over the presidency of the European Union, it gives me great pleasure that The Irish Times should devote a supplement to my country and to the relations between France and Ireland.

Many projects undertaken in these past years should be completed or, at the very least, progress considerably in the course of the next six months. Among them is the conclusion of the intergovernmental conference on institutional reform in Nice.

Focusing on the three issues which were unresolved in the context of the Treaty of Amsterdam (the size of the Commission, the re-weighing of votes in the Council, and extended application of qualified majority), these difficult talks are central to the improved running of the Union with a view to its enlargement.

By the same token, significant development in the work undertaken since the Cologne and Helsinki Summits in 1999 regarding the definition of a European security and defence policy is essential. Finally, France will pay particular attention to the social dimension of European construction.

Despite the differences which might separate us on certain issues of these delicate negotiations, I am certain that we will overcome them thanks to continuous and confident dialogue, and to our leaders' common desire to actively pursue the construction of the Europe of tomorrow. Our bilateral relations can only be stronger for it.