It could be for France even slightly higher than forecasted (1.6%), if we look at our Banque de France forecast for Q4 published this morning – at 0.5%. It will be sustained in the next two years thanks to strong investment and increased convergence among countries. These forecasts, including a positive but still subdued inflation, confirm the adequacy of the gradual normalisation of our monetary policy we are engaged in. There is a risk, however, that the debate will continue to revolve around two long-standing divisions: “German rules” vs “French expenditure” and “community methods” vs “intergovernmental methods". Too many fears and suspicions have been inherited from the past, but we are living in a new era – which is also thanks to the acceleration of reforms in France – and in a time of unique historic opportunity. In Rome, on 25 March of this year, the Member States all expressed their clear will for “the completion of the Economic and Monetary Union". We are in agreement on the “why": greater stability, to counter the risk of a new crisis befalling an unprotected euro area; and greater growth, to catch up our past lag on the United States and finally treat the fatal disease of mass unemployment in Europe. But how can we achieve this shared objective?
Our trade negotiators are well aware of these principles and mechanisms and I am sure they will negotiate effectively. Now in addition to all the deals which that have been negotiated with India, China and Singapore, we have the bilateral FTA in goods with Pakistan which is being invigorated, and on top of that, of course we have EU GSP plus. If you take all this together, if we are able to conclude these Trade Negotiations successfully, Sri Lanka could have access, preferential access, to a market of 3 billion people, which is a massive USP. Now I think Singapore has  preferential access to both China and India. But they don’t have preferential access to EU. So there is no other country in the world that I know of, which has preferential access to China, India and Page 14 of 17  Europe. I know that GSP plus is only for four years. But four years is enough time for us to take advantage of it. So that is a massive opportunity. Now, of course this market of  three billion people is going to provide opportunities for our own exporters. But on top of that the trick is to use this preferential access  to  this  3  billion  person  market  to  leverage  the  trade/investment nexus. We can tell people you can come and locate here and sell on a preferential basis to China, India and Europe.