Thank you very much, Mrs. Speaker, for these words.

Dear Nancy, I’m extremely happy and honored to be here with you today, more than four years after my first visit, and it’s a privilege to address a speech at the Congress. And I will have the opportunity now to discuss with the bipartisan Caucus to precisely address a lot of issues. I want first, to thank you for your words and tell you how much we consider that the relationship between the United States of America and France is important first, for peace.

Together, we work very hard in order to help Ukraine after the aggression from Russia. We work very hard in order to address the direct and indirect consequences of this war regarding food security or energy, and together, we work very hard when health or climate are at stake. And this partnership and friendship is, for us, absolutely essential.

And let me say a few more personal words. As you decided to open a new page of your life, I wanted to pay tribute to your wonderful leadership and your role here as speaker of the House. I think during these years, you were not just Speaker of the House in this democracy, but you were a great defender of our democratic values, advocating the respect of elections, defending these values in a real time with real words and concrete actions. And I have to say a special thought for your husband, who was a direct victim of the craziness of our times. I want to tell both of you that what you did during this year, the fight you had, the courage you have is essential to all of us. Thank you very much for that.