At the President’s invitation, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, a deputy in the Burmese Parliament and Chairperson of the National League for Democracy, visited France on June 26-29.
On the occasion of this visit, the last stop in her first trip to Europe in nearly 25 years, France payed tribute to this extraordinary woman’s battle for human rights and emphasized its active support for the democratic transition process under way in Burma.
On June 27, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius welcomed Aung San Suu Kyi to the Quai d’Orsay for a meeting followed by a dinner in her honor. On this occasion, the Foreign Minister and Aung San Suu Kyi planted a tree of liberty in the gardens of the Quai d’Orsay.
Speech by Aung San Suu Kyi :
In addition to her meeting with the President at the Elysée Palace upon her arrival, the Nobel laureate was welcomed by the Presidents of the National Assembly and the Senate, as well as by the Mayor of Paris, a city of which she is an honorary citizen.
In line with her wish to meet European young people, she visited the Sorbonne for a lecture/discussion with students. She also met with representatives of French nongovernmental organizations that have mobilized their efforts throughout the years for human rights, humanitarian aid and development in Burma, and was the guest of honor at the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society.
