On Thursday 20 July 2017, the Luxembourg Prime Minister and Minister of State Xavier Bettel attended a working meeting in Matignon, where he was received by the French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe.

The discussions between the Luxembourgish and French Prime Ministers made it possible to review bilateral affairs, notably that of cross-border cooperation and its relation to mobility and social issues. In this context, Xavier Bettel recalled the important contribution of the French community to Luxembourg.

The Luxembourg Prime Minister also stressed the importance of making progress on the issue of the closure of the Cattenom nuclear power plant.

Moreover, the discussions entailed an in-depth exchange of views on the main strategic orientations for guiding the work of the European Union in the coming years. On this point, Xavier Bettel stressed that "Luxembourg wants to be at the forefront of the revitalisation of the European Union".

The meeting also provided an update on the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union and the future of European defence.

Prime Minister Bettel was then received together with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel for an interview followed by a dinner at the Elysée by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron.

Photo by SIP / Charles Caratini