French president set for Phl tour
MANILA — French President Francois Hollande will bring two Oscar-winning stars on a two-day visit to the Philippines next week aimed at building momentum for climate talks in Paris, his envoy said Wednesday.
During t he visit, Hollande and his Philippine counterpart Benigno Aquino will call on world l eaders t o finalise a climate change pact when they meet in December, French ambassador to the Philippines Gilles Garachon told reporters.
Hollande is bringing with him French actress Marion Cotillard and British actor Jeremy Irons, both recipients of Hollywood's highest acting honor, Garachon said.
He will also bring Patriarch Bartholomew I of the Orthodox Church and another French actress, Melanie Laurent, the envoy said.
"All these people will be there to show support for this cause," he said.
Hollande will arrive in Manila on February 26. On the same day, he will meet l ocal businessmen for lunch, host a climate change f orum and meet with Aquino at t he presidential palace.
"The idea is to call f or an i nternational mobilization on climate change... It's decision t i me," Garachon said, when asked about a joint statement the two leaders are expected to issue.
On February 27, Hollande will fly to the coastal town of Guiuan in Eastern Samar, one of t he worst- hit areas during 2013' s super typhoon Yolanda.
Yolanda, t he strongest storm on record t o hit l and, l eft 7,350 people dead or missing after its 230- kilometre ( 145- mile) per hour winds whipped tsunamilike waves that wiped out entire communities.
During t he bitterly fought Lima r ound of climate t alks in December last year, negotiators adopted a f ormat f or national pledges t o cut Earthwarming greenhouse gases.
In Paris, negotiators hope to cut a deal to limit global warming t o no more than two degrees Celsius ( 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over prei ndustrial l evels, averting what could be potentially catastrophic damage to the Earth's climate system by t he turn of the century.