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France has a very important relationship with Germany. But that does not mean that we agree about everything or that two of our universities or companies are not going to compete.

After World War II it was decided that, in order to prevent the Germans and the French from having another war, it would be better to tie them together into one economic pact so they would invest in each other and have mutual stakes. Until now, that has worked to prevent warfare between the two.

The transatlantic relationship is vital for both our countries: France will remain a reliable ally of the United States. Nevertheless, ally does not mean aligned.

I do not separate France from Europe.

France cannot be France without greatness.

Only peril can bring the French together. One can't impose unity out of the blue on a country that has 265 different kinds of cheese.

Russia does not want confrontation of any kind. And we will not take part in any kind of 'holy alliance.'

We have a complicated intelligence relationship with France. We have a complicated intelligence relationship with other - with other allies.

I have to say that if our global alliances are going to be alliances with Hezbollah and Hamas and Hugo Chavez's Venezuela and Vladimir Putin's Russia, there is absolutely no chance of building a world-wide alliance that can deal with poverty and inequality and climate change and financial instability, and we've got to face up to that fact.

The French are simply incapable of telling the truth.