Forging a Friendship

It must have been the only time I ever heard three national anthems–the Philippine, the French and the German–played in one evening. This was at the celebration of the signing of the Elysee Treaty 40 years ago by President De Gaulle and Chancellor Adenauer.

With French Ambassador Renée Veyret and German Ambassador Herbert D. Jess representing their respective countries at the ceremonies, guests who occupied every inch of the verandah and spacious lawn of the French Embassy residence listened intently to VP Teofisto Guingona. He was then extolling in his typically eloquent and stirring manner, hitherto age-old rivals and bitter enemies Germany and France for becoming close partners and allies. He said such forging of friendship, to the admiration of the whole world, benefitted not only France and Germany but also the rest of Europe and what was beyond it economically, politically, socially and culturally.

Further, Mr. Guingona admonished both France and Germany to look back to past gains and to look forward to future ones to be acquired through lasting peace and harmony between them.

Mr. Jess’s inspiring remarks likewise lifted the spirit. Earlier, he had signified (in print) that Franco-German cooperation and exchange were probably without parallel in international and social relations. Germany and France being by far each other’s most important trading partner, cooperation between them is most significant today while it continues to function as a driving force and innovator within Europe.

Mme. Veyret begged off from delivering a speech, assuming perhaps she would be merely echoing her co-host. What a glorious feeling the exchange of toasts sparked! It elicited hearty applause from Haydee Yorac, Ambassadors Paul Dimon, Christian Tanghe, Paul Moe, Busba Bunnag, Havreka Sharma, Justice Francis Garchitorena, Fr. Pedro Galende, DFA’s Virgilio Reyes, Jr., Bambi Harper, Consuls Tony Rufino, Fortune Ledesma and Evie Costa, and from hundreds more.

To my mind, German Ambassador Jess deserved the heartiest applause. Why? Having personally agreed in principle to the Elysee Treaty way before it was signed, he married a charming French woman named Micheline Bavoux.