Sarkozy invited

President Sarkozy invited to Humbert School

Anna-Marie Flynn

FRENCH President Nicolas Sarkozy has been invited to Mayo to take part in the Humbert Summer School.
Mr Sarkozy, who made a brief controversial visit to Dublin yesterday (Monday), has been invited to participate in a Foreign Policy Forum on ‘Europe with or without Lisbon’, due to take place on Friday, August 22, and Saturday, August 23.
The invitation was issued on Sunday to President Sarkozy by the Humbert School director, John Cooney, in a letter delivered personally to the residence of the French Ambassador to Ireland in Ballsbridge.
Mr Cooney told The Mayo News that the Humbert Summer School is offering President Sarkozy two days of informed and open-ended debate.
“It is a unique learning opportunity for President Sarkozy to listen to diverse views and to explain his own efforts to achieve a resolution to Ireland’s referendum ‘No’ last June to the Lisbon Treaty.”
“The Humbert Foreign Policy Forum  is an ideal occasion – and location – for the French President and current President of the European Council – and his representatives - to engage seriously with a significant segment of Irish public opinion,” said Mr Cooney.
Cardinal Seán Brady and Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, will head a top level list of speakers pencilled in for the weekend-long school.
Cardinal Brady, the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, will deliver the Bishop Stock Peace Address.
Other speakers will include the School’s Patron and Nobel Prize Winner, John Hume, former Government Press Secretary PJ Mara, writer and author Tim Pat Coogan, and former SDLP Minister and Fine Gael deputy Austin Currie.