Foreign Relations of France - Europe

Autonomous Albanian Republic of Korçë

• Albania has an embassy in Paris.
• France has an embassy in Tirana.

France and Armenia have a close relationship founded on historical contacts, shared values of democracy and human rights, substantial commercial links, and a keen interest in each other's culture.

Azerbaijan has an embassy in Paris. France has an embassy in Baku.

• Bosnia and Herzegovina has an embassy in Paris France was the first country to open embassy in besieged Sarajevo in January 1993. Centre André Malraux and French primary school are located in Sarajevo and French Institute and French Cultural Centre offices are present in Banja Luka, Mostar and Tuzla. Since October 2010 Bosnia and Herzegovina is an observer on the Francophonie.

• Bulgaria has an embassy in Paris.
• France has an embassy in Sofia.
• Bulgaria is a full member of the Francophonie since 1993.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy, has been essential for the liberation of the Bulgarian nurse in the HIV trial in Libya.

• French Foreign Ministry about relations with Bulgaria

See France–Georgia relations

Franco-German cooperation is widely seen as the engine of European integration.

Holy See–France relations are very ancient and have existed since the fifth century AD, and have been durable to the extent that France is sometimes called the eldest daughter of the Church.

See France–Hungary relations

• France has an embassy in Reykjavik.
• Iceland has an embassy in Paris and 7 honorary consulates in Bordeaux, Caen, Dieppe, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Strasbourg.
• Both countries are NATO members.
• France Foreign Affairs Ministry about relations with Iceland

• France has an embassy in Dublin.
• Ireland has an embassy in Paris and 3 honorary consulates (in Antibes, Cherbourg and Lyon).
• Both countries are full members of the European Union.
• Both countries, throughout history, were very friendly with each other, and both fought against Great Britain cooperatively, especially during the 1798 Uprising
• French Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Ireland

When Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 17 February 2008, France became one of the first countries to announce officially about recognition of sovereign Kosovo. France has an embassy in Pristina. Kosovo has an embassy in Paris.

• France recognized Latvia on 26 January 1921. France has never recognised the annexation of Latvia by the former Soviet Union. France re-recognized Latvia on 27 August 1991.
• France has an embassy in Riga.
• Latvia has an embassy in Paris and 9 honorary consulates (in Bordeaux, Calais, Lyon, Marseille, Nancy, Nantes, Saint-Étienne, Strasbourg and Toulouse).
• Both countries are full members of NATO and of the European Union. Since 2008, Latvia is an observer on the Francophonie.
• French Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Latvia
• Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with France

• France has an embassy in Vilnius.
• Lithuania has an embassy in Paris and 5 honorary consulates (in Bordeaux, Marseille, Rouen, Troyes and Valence).
• Both countries are full members of NATO and of the European Union. Since 1999, Lithuania is an observer on the Francophonie.
• French Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Lithuania
• Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Poland (in Lithuanian only)

• The two countries share membership of the European Union.
• The former president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy went to Malta on a private trip just after his election in May 2007.
• French Foreign Ministry about relations with Malta
• French embassy in Malta

• France opened an Embassy in Chişinău.

• France has an embassy in Podgorica.
• Montenegro has an embassy in Paris.
• French Foreign Ministry about relations with Montenegro

Polish-French relations date several centuries, although they became really relevant only with times of French Revolution and reign of Napoleon I. Poles have been allies of Napoleon; large Polish community settled in France in the 19th century, and Poles and French were also allies during the interwar period. The official relations, having cooled down during the Cold War, have improved since the fall of communism. Currently both countries are part of the European Union and NATO.

Right after the breakup of the USSR, bilateral relations between France and Russia were initially warm. On 7 February 1992, France signed a bilateral treaty, recognizing Russia as a successor of the USSR. As described on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the bilateral relations between France and Russia remain longstanding, and remain strong to this day.

• France has an embassy in Belgrade.
• Serbia has an embassy in Paris and 2 consulates (in Lyon and Strasbourg).
• Since 2006, Serbia is an observer on the Francophonie.
• There are between 70,000 and 100,000 people of Serbian descent living in France.
• French Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Serbia
• Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with France

• France has an embassy in Bratislava.
• Slovakia has an embassy in Paris and 4 honorary consulates (in Grenoble, Lille, Toulouse and Saint-Pol-de-Léon).
• Both countries are full members of NATO and of the European Union.
• French Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the relation with Slovakia

• France has an embassy in Ljubljana.
• Slovenia has an embassy in Paris.
• Since 1999, Slovenia is an observer on the Francophonie.
• Both countries are members of NATO and the European Union.
• French Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Slovenia

• Turkey has an embassy in Paris and consulates general in Lyon, Marseille and Strasbourg.
• France has an embassy in Ankara and a consulate in Istanbul.

• France has an embassy in Kiev.
• Ukraine has an embassy in Paris.
• Since 2006, Ukraine has been an observer on the Francophonie organisation.
• French Foreign Ministry about relations with Ukraine

• France has an embassy in London and Consulate Generals in London and Edinburgh.
• The United Kingdom has an embassy in Paris and Consulates in Bordeaux, Lyon and Marseille.

France and Scotland were military allies in the late Middle Ages through the Auld Alliance. From the Middle Ages onwards, France and England were often enemies, and occasionally allies. However, in the beginning of the 20th century a policy of entente cordiale (cordial agreement) was started. France and the United Kingdom became allies, and despite occasional tensions (such as: the perception among some in France that the British abandoned France in 1940; see Battle of France and Attack on Mers-el-Kébir), remain so to the present day.

A chronic point of contention is the future of the European Union. Under French president Charles de Gaulle France opposed on several occasions the UK joining the European Economic Community (as the EU was then called). De Gaulle argued that the UK had extensive alliances outside Europe, especially with the United States, and was famously suspicious of its European neighbours. After the UK joined the EEC, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher argued for and won a reduction of its contributions to the EEC budget. As Prime Minister, Tony Blair expressed scepticism at French economic policies, but forged an alliance with President Nicolas Sarkozy.