Speech by H.E. Mr. Jean-Claude Poimbœuf, Ambassador of France to Thailand, on the occasion of the French National Day Reception 2024
On Monday, July 15, 2024, H.E. Mr. Jean-Claude Poimbœuf, Ambassador of France to Thailand, hosted a reception on the occasion of the French National Day at Eastin Grand Hotel Phayathai, Bangkok, with the attendance of about 1,200 guests. Among distinguished guests present were H.E. Mr. Atthaniti Disatha-amnarj, Privy Councillor, Police General Permpoon Chidchob, Minister of Education, Mr. Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok, members of the Diplomatic Corps in Thailand, as well as many heads and representatives from public and private sectors and members of the French community in Thailand.
The ceremony began with the performance of the Thai Royal Anthem and the French National Anthem by Mr. Kittinant Chinsamran, Thai baritone, with the Royal Thai Air Force Band, followed by the speech of the French Ambassador, commending strong relations between Thailand and France. The guests were then asked to join in a toast to His Majesty the King and the President of the French Republic.
Read the full speech of the French Ambassador below.
Your Excellency, His Majesty the King’s Privy Councillor,
Excellencies, Members of the Royal Government,
My dear colleagues of the diplomatic corps,
Councillors of the French Abroad,
Honorary Consuls,
Presidents of French associations,
My dear compatriots,
Dear friends of France,I’m very touched to see so many of you here with us on our national day celebration, and I would like to thank you for accepting our invitation. Your presence here today is a gesture of friendship. It also reflects the current vitality of relations between Thailand and France.
What an auspicious year it has been for relations between our two countries! Just a few months ago, we were working with a number of partners to bring to fruition an eventful France-Thailand Year of Innovation 2023, which has consolidated our long-standing relations in the fields of culture, research, higher education and innovation.
In March this year, France was honoured to welcome Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on his first bilateral visit to Europe. During his meeting with President Macron, an agreement was reached to strengthen our cooperation with a view to a future strategic partnership. Two months later, on 16 May, the Prime Minister returned to Paris to open a business forum bringing together some of our biggest companies. Several important agreements were signed on this occasion. A further meeting between our leaders confirmed our shared desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in the fields of security and defence, space, transport and the energy and ecological transition. A few weeks later, we were delighted to welcome His Excellency Mr. Sutin Klungsang, the Royal Government’s Minister of Defence, to Paris for the Eurosatory world defence and security exhibition.
Moving towards a strategic partnership also means working together on issues that go beyond our bilateral relations, whether it’s fostering a community of views on major international crises - I’m thinking in particular of the war of aggression waged by Russia in Ukraine for over two years - or encouraging cooperation on global issues such as the climate, the energy transition, biodiversity, the oceans or global health. We are taking numerous actions in these areas, and I am delighted to have signed, at the beginning of May, on behalf of my authorities, an agreement establishing a Franco-Thai dialogue on the environment, biodiversity and the protection of species.
I hope that this momentum will continue in the coming months, particularly with the commemoration, in 2025, of the 340th anniversary of the first French embassy in the Kingdom of Siam, and, in 2026, of the 170th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations. These commemorations will be an opportunity to celebrate the great moments in our long-shared history, but also and above all to look to the future.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In a few days’ time, France will be welcoming the world to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It has been a century since France, the country behind the renaissance of the Games thanks to Baron Pierre de Coubertin, was chosen to host the Summer Games. It will also be the first time our country has hosted the Paralympic Games. Everything has been done to ensure the success of this major world sporting event, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish the Thai athletes every success.
I would now like to address my compatriots in particular, whom I have endeavoured to meet wherever they are established in Thailand, forming by far the largest French community in South-East Asia. I would like to pay tribute to your elected representatives, to our honorary consuls in Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Khon Kaen and Phuket, and to the leaders of the French associations whose commitment to solidarity I have seen resonate with the value of fraternity in our national motto. In this year of the 20th anniversary of the tragic tsunami of 2004, I would like to pay tribute to the admirable work of our compatriot Elisabeth Zana, who is here this evening and who, with her association NAT, has given everything to the children attending the school she founded in Krabi.
Finally, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to Mr. Kittinant Chinsamran, baritone, for his masterly performance of the national anthems, to the Royal Thai Air Force band, and of course to all our partners and sponsors for their generous support.
Long live the friendship between the Kingdom of Thailand and France!
I now ask you to raise your glasses to the health of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and of the President of the French Republic.