France's President Hollande writes to Chief Minister with thanks

French President Francois Hollande has written to the Chief Minister thanking him for the letter of condolences he sent on behalf of the people of Gibraltar in the wake of the terror attacks there last month.

President Hollande wrote: “I was very touched by the terms of your letter of support that you so kindly sent me, on behalf of the Government and people of Gibraltar, following the terrible attacks which left France in mourning last November 13.”

“I thank you, most sincerely.”

Reflecting on the 130 victims of the attacks, he said: “These despicable attacks have caused many victims. It is the very soul of France that these murderers were targeting. They wanted to kill our values of tolerance, peace and liberty, values which we shall never surrender.”

“You can rest assured that we will not allow ourselves to be impressed by horror. Far from making us doubt, these cowardly and abhorrent acts strengthen our determination to eradicate terrorism.”

“In these particularly difficult times, the messages of friendship and solidarity that we have received from the entire planet, such as yours, are an invaluable assistance in our fight against hatred and barbarism,” President Hollande stated.

Photo by David Parody