French envoy lauds reopening of direct flight from Manila to Paris

French ambassador Marie Fontanel on Tuesday said the reopening of direct flights from Manila to Paris signifies a very important milestone in further strengthening the long-standing bilateral relations between the Philippines and France.

Asked about its impact on people-to-people exchanges during a press briefing in Malacañang, Fontanel described the direct flights as a Christmas wish granted to many Filipinos and French people.

“So definitely this is a very important milestone to strengthening our bilateral relation,” Ambassador Fontanel said.

Ambassador Fontanel said France issues 37,000 visas every year, making it the top European Union country in visa issuance.

Recognizing the high potential for increased people-to-people exchanges, the French ambassador vowed to make the direct flights successful and augment the visa issuance capacity. |PND