"France is ready once again to become the country of Olympism".  It is in these terms that Jacques Chirac has reaffirmed his support for Paris 2012.  He expressed this on the 4th of January, where he received the wishes of the City of Paris, as guest of the Mayor and President of Paris 2012, Bertrand Delanoe.

 

The host city of the Olympic Games and Paralympics will be announced by the International Olympic Committee on the 6th of July 2005 in Singapore.  The Head of State has shown his determination for 2005: "We have six months remaining in order to convince, and I strongly wish to win. We have the trump cards for that".

 

On the same day, Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin called his ministers to Matignon, who are involved with the Bid.  He has done so in order to facilitate the joining of forces of all State services, and to prepare for the IOC Evaluation Commission, scheduled to visit Paris from the 9th to 12th of March, 2005.

 

The Prime Minister has also appointed the Prefect of the Ile-de-France Region, Bertrand Landrieu, to coordinate the security. Dominique de Villepin, Interior Minister, has established a security coordination structure.  Gilles de Robien, Minister of Transport, Equipment, Housing, Tourism and the Sea is working on the preparation for the neccessary planning to ensure success of the Paris’ 2012 transportation strategy.

 

As for the Sports Minister, Jean-François Lamour, he is responsible for coordinating the activities of the ministries, regarding the Paris 2012 file.  His main task is to mobilise the Government with regards to March 9, and to work towards the presentation of the Bid on July 6th, in front of the IOC members.