Sommet franco-britannique de Londres ( page 17/19 )

ENTENTE CORDIALE CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
SPEAKING NOTE FOR PRIME MINISTER

· Next year we will celebrate a century of shared history and shared culture. Shared interests and shared aspirations. Shared values and shared ideals. 2004 is the centenary of the Entente Cordiale Agreements signed between the UK and France.
· Our relationship touches almost imperceptibly every level of society and every community in France and Britain. So close that we often take it for granted.
· Hundreds of British and French towns and cities are twinned. Thousands of French and British school children learn each others' language. And millions of us visit one another's country each year.
· It is this natural closeness that we want to highlight and celebrate next year.
· I can't pretend that we don't disagree from time to time, but one disagreement does not define a relationship. And the best friendships are honest friendships in which those differences can be freely aired. We are lucky to share that kind of friendship. Ultimately, there is more that unites us than divides us.
· Our celebrations will consist of a wide variety of events reflecting the diversity in our relationship.
· Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth will make a State Visit to France at the beginning of April to mark the official inauguration of the celebrations.
· We look forward to welcoming the President Chirac to Britain in a return visit in October to mark the official closure of the celebrations.
· In between, will be events in which we hope as many people as possible in Britain and France will participate. From centenary celebrations between twinned towns, through centenary cultural events and centenary sporting events to centenary commercial events.
· We want some concrete good to emerge. One of the central planks will be our shared interest in the fight against cancer. We want to make cancer charities (CRUK in Britain and in France) the official charities of EC100 events and hope that they will benefit financially through our celebrations.