Ties with Jersey will stay strong - French ambassador

Ambassador Hélène Duchêne met members of Société Jersiaise

The French ambassador to the UK said her country’s ties with Jersey would stay strong despite upcoming elections in France and the UK.

Hélène Duchêne visited the island to talk to ministers about strengthening economic and cultural ties.

She was also shown an exhibition on French and British history at the Société Jersiaise.

It is the first time a French ambassador has visited Jersey since 2016.

The Entente Cordiale exhibition is about a series of agreements signed by France and the UK in 1904

Ms Duchêne said she wanted to build on the friendship between the two territories.

She said day-long passports had helped boost French tourism to the island and now she was looking at “school visits to the island, because, if you want good relations, children have to know each other”.

President Emmanuel Macron has called snap parliamentary elections for later this month, but Ms Duchêne said she did not think that would affect the relationship between Jersey and France.

“I don’t see any reason for change in the short-term as the relationship is based on history and economic interest, so it is a very stable relationship,” she added.

Rebecca Bailhache, the CEO of the Société Jersiaise, welcomed the ambassador to the exhibition

The Société Jersiaise was set up in 1873 to protect the island's heritage and preserve its history

Its CEO, Rebecca Bailhache, helped welcome the ambassador to the exhibition.

She said the group was “delighted” about the visit and Jersey had “many connections with France”.

“I think it's important that we nurture relations with France because we have a shared history and past, so it's important to carry on looking after that,” Ms Bailhache added.

Members of Jersey's French community also met the ambassador