Carwyn Jones, First Minister
This was published under the 2011 to 2016 administration of the Welsh Government
On 24 June I visited Rennes, at the invitation of the Breton Regional Council, to re-affirm and deepen the friendship and co-operation between Brittany and Wales. During my visit I addressed a plenary session of the Regional Council and signed, along with Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, the President of the Regional Council, a document reaffirming our co-operation.
In my remarks to the Regional Council I emphasised the widespread good will towards Brittany in Wales, both within the National Assembly and beyond, which underpins our relationship. Our partnership draws, of course, on the shared cultural heritage of Wales and Brittany and these links themselves provide fruitful areas for co-operation. The relationship offers more than this. Much of our discussions focussed on marine energy, an area where Brittany has developed a considerable profile, based on its Atlantic facing coastline. Wales, too, has an interest in this areas and I envisage further co-operation around this theme in future.
I am pleased to note that our relationship with Brittany is in good order. Building on the foundations laid by my predecessor I am committed to developing Wales’ position as an outward facing nation. Wales needs to promote its place in the world: we have much to gain and much to offer.