We intend to make the Olympic values come to life during the Games, French Ambassador says

France intends to make the Olympic values, mutual respect, excellence and friendship, vibrate during the Olympic Games, the French Ambassador to Nicosia Salina Grenet-Catalano has said.

She was speaking to CNA ahead of the Paris Olympics which kick off officially on 26 July.

In her interview with the Cyprus News Agency, Grenet-Catalano, who is completing her term in Nicosia as Ambassador, also wished for Cypriots, be they Greek or Turkish speaking, to live together and enjoy all their rights as part of the great European family.

Asked what is the message France wants to convey to the world through the Olympic Games, the country’s Ambassador in Nicosia said that, "France intends to make the Olympic values, mutual respect, excellence and friendship, vibrate during the Games, but also that through the Olympic and Paralympic Games, France will share with the world the values that make up its motto: liberty, equality and fraternity."

On top of that, she added, the Olympic and Paralympic Games are a chance to reiterate France's global ambitions in favour of peace, development and the preservation of the planet.

Grenet-Catalano also noted that she is really pleased as she will be able to share with Cypriots the great celebration of the Olympics’ opening ceremony on the Seine on Friday, during the live-screening event co-organised by the French Embassy at the coastal area of Molos in Limassol.

Asked what is the mood among Parisians and what are the expectations of the French authorities, Salina Grenet-Catalano said that "there are great expectations among the French population, and not just in Paris," recalling that since the Olympic flame arrived in Marseille on May 8, it has travelled across France and its overseas territories, passing over 450 towns and cities and setting the atmosphere for the great popular celebration that the Games represent.

“For the French authorities and all French people, the Paris 2024 Games are a rendez-vous with the world, 100 years after the last summer games were held in France” she said, noting that the Games "are a unique opportunity for France to showcase the best of itself and the excellence of its know-how.”

According to the French Ambassador, the challenge for France is first and foremost organisational, with 16 million visitors expected, 203 delegations and 10,500 athletes, while high expectations are also placed on the exemplarity of these Games: a carbon footprint divided by 2 (in comparison to the previous Games), and parity and inclusiveness with the Olympic and Paralympic Games on an equal footing. For the first time, the Games will also bring together as many women athletes as men, she added.

Asked whether current efforts to form a new government in France will have an impact on the level of organisation and safety of the Games the French Ambassador said that as the Games represent 7 years of preparation, all the major decisions concerning the organisation have already been taken a long time ago.

“The exceptional scale of the event has required the tireless mobilisation of all those involved in organising the Games for many years now,” she stressed.

“In terms of public transport, the effort has been colossal," she said, giving the example of the extension of metro line 14 which now enables passengers to reach directly Orly airport from the heart of Paris. Also, she added, "the Olympic Village and all Olympic infrastructures were delivered on time for the Games,” reiterating that France is completely ready to welcome the entire world in Paris.

Grenet-Catalano also recalled that the resources deployed to secure the Games will be unprecedented, both in terms of human resources and equipment. “On average, 35,000 police officers and 18,000 military personnel will be mobilised every day” she said, underlining in this context the Franco-Cypriot cooperation, with the participation of 2 Cypriot police dog units for the security of the Games.

Olympic truce and the way out of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East

On the possibility to activate, even now, the Olympic spirit, given the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East, the Ambassador of France to Cyprus recalled that last November the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution put forward by France in favour of the Olympic Truce and that the French President has called on all stakeholders to respect the truce, in line with the age-old tradition. “The Olympic and Paralympic Games convey indeed values of mutual respect, excellence and friendship, which must lead everyone to cease hostilities and redouble their efforts to establish lasting peace, in compliance with the United Nations Charter” she stressed, noting that the call for a truce is addressed to all, including non-state armed groups, but also that “those who attack, in violation of international law and the United Nations Charter, obviously have an unequalled responsibility to silence the weapons.”

“If there is to be an Olympic truce, it must not be to the benefit of illegality and the aggressors. Peace in Ukraine must be negotiated in due course, with full respect for international law and therefore for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and on Ukrainian terms” Grenet-Catalano said, adding that Russia usually chooses to ignore the Olympic truce and that “this rejection has the merit of showing one thing: despite the fact that he says he is ready to start talks, President Vladimir Putin does not want peace.”

Replying on what should be the path out of today's major conflicts Salina Grenet-Catalano underlined that war is never the answer and lasting political solutions to the conflicts can only be achieved through full respect for international law. “In the face of these conflicts, Europeans have a role to play in strengthening their solidarity and reaffirming their commitment to the principles of international and humanitarian law” she said.

She recalled that France's positions on these conflicts are constant. “In view of the absolute humanitarian emergency in Gaza, France calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, which alone will enable the protection of the civilian population, the release of hostages and the massive entry of humanitarian aid through all points of access to the Gaza Strip” she said adding that France remains convinced that a two-state solution is the only way to ensure peace and security in the region.

About Ukraine, she noted that France is determined to provide Ukraine with all the support it needs, over the long term and as intensively as needed, to defeat Russia's war of aggression.

Regarding the French government's priorities for the new European political cycle and whether we should be concerned for the fragmentation of the political landscape in Europe, Grenet-Catalano recalled that French President Emmanuel Macron outlined France's key priorities for Europe on April 25, 2024 at the Sorbonne University, noting that the challenges facing our Europe are major: the return of war to the European soil, the risk of economic stagnation and the increasing competition at the world level, the green transition, but also the defence of our democratic, humanist and liberal model.

“The EU must be at the forefront of these battles, and we must stay united to collectively tackle all the challenges we are faced with” she emphasized, stressing that France remains then committed to a more sovereign, prosperous and humanist Europe.

“As members of the European family, France and Cyprus share the same desire to strengthen Europe's autonomy in all strategic fields” she added.

For the new European political cycle, the French Ambassador said that France will continue to play a leading role and will continue to promote dialogue and cooperation.

Bilateral relations and her wish for Cypriot people

Called on the occasion of the completion of her service in Cyprus to assess bilateral relations, Salina Grenet-Catalano noted that during the past 3 and a half years, she has worked hard to further strengthen the cooperation between France and Cyprus in a wide range of areas: political, of course, but also in the fields of defence, energy, migration, culture, tourism, people to people contacts. “We have achieved a lot and the bilateral relationship between France and Cyprus is excellent” she stressed, noting that this would not have happened without the support of all partners, “the Cypriot authorities, of course, but also the private sector, the civil society and many others that I would like to thank warmly.”

She also emphasised that as she has said in her speech for Bastille Day, she is particularly proud of the bilateral cooperation in two fields. “First, in the defence sector, French military forces are permanently active in the Eastern Mediterranean and that would not be possible without Cyprus, a strong friend and partner of the French army” she said noting that since her arrival on the island in December 2020, there have been 75 port calls by French navy ships, including two of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, but also numerous exercises to develop the interoperability of Cypriot and French forces.

“Second, in education, the French language is now taught to all kids in public high school until they get their Apolytirion (Diploma). The French-Cypriot school of Nicosia is also flourishing and our new school in Limassol is growing rapidly” she added.

Called, lastly, to share a personal message on the occasion of her departure, Salina Grenet-Catalano repeated that she will miss Cyprus, its warm hospitality and its Mediterranean culture. “As a Mediterranean myself, I am going to miss Cyprus' climate in Paris where I will serve for the next 3 years. I will leave partners and friends in Cyprus, but I am sure that we will meet again soon. Cyprus will always hold a special place in my professional and personal life, as it was my first posting as an ambassador” she said.

Salina Grenet-Catalano also noted that as her departure approaches, she would like to share a wish, “that Cyprus be reunified and that Cypriots, be they Greek or Turkish speaking, live together and enjoy all their rights as part of our great European family”.

(Source: CNA)