Press Release (96)4 8 January 1996

Mr. François Mitterrand The Secretary General of NATO, Mr. Javier Solana, today expressed his profound sadness on hearing of the death of the former President of the French Republic, Mr. Franois Mitterrand. Mr Solana said that the French nation had recognized Mr. Mitterrand's qualities of leadership and had twice shown their confidence in him by choosing him for the highest function of state. The Secretary General also praised what Mr. Mitterrand had done to build Europe. Without Franois Mitterand, Europe would have been different. He honoured the French leader whom he considered to have been one of the most important personalities of the century and a man of great perseverance. Mr Solana expressed his sympathy to the President of the French Republic, Mr. Jacques Chirac, and asked him to give the most sincere condoleances of the Atlantic Alliance's civil and military authorities to the family of the former head of state.