Statement by President of the Government during visit to the coordination centre for accident involving plane en-route from Barcelona to Düsseldorf

Seyne-les-Alpes (France)

A very good afternoon to you. I wish to convey my condolences, those of the government I head up, of the President of the Regional Government of Catalonia, who has accompanied me here today, and of all the people of Spain to the families and loved ones of all of the victims of this dramatic accident.

We empathise with their pain and are aware that things are not easy, because they are going through probably the worst thing that can happen to a human being. They should be aware that we feel for them. We want to help them with all the resources available in anything they may need, and we wish, as François Hollande remarked in his statement, to identify the victims and repatriate them under the best possible conditions, because we know that this is an important task.

We are all going to work together and we will rise to the occasion at such a difficult and complicated time as this, which so many people are having to go through.

Many French citizens, but also German and Spanish citizens, will work to help the families and loved ones of the victims. We have seen psychologists, interpreters, police officers, firemen, public servants, military personnel and many other volunteers. I would like to express my warm gratitude to all these people.

I would also like to offer my special thanks to the people of France and to President Hollande. Their conduct has been irreproachable, generous and genuinely friendly, and François Hollande has behaved as one would expect from a president of such a great nation as France.

I would also like to thank the mayors of the nearby towns who have accompanied us here and to all the public officials who have been here with us today for what they have done and for what we are absolutely convinced they are going to do.

Finally, I would like to say to all of you, and also to the families of the victims, that there are three people here, the President of the French Republic, the German Chancellor and the President of the Government of Spain, who will all be supportive, who will work together and undertake an investigation together, as is only right not only as Europeans, but above all as human beings.

Thank you very much.