ANY QUOTES USED MUST BE ATTRIBUTED TO MURNAGHAN, SKY NEWS

DERMOT MURNAGHAN:  France is a nation in mourning after Friday night’s massacre, the country’s worst atrocity since the Second World War, 129 people have been killed and 99 remain critically injured.  I am joined now by the French Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Silvie Bermann, good morning to you Madam Ambassador and our thoughts and condolences of course with the people of Paris.  What do you think of the solidarity that has been shown within the United Kingdom with France?  

SILVIE BERMANN: Yes, this solidarity is very important and the Queen wrote to our President, the Prime Minister also talked with our President and the leader of the Opposition brought flowers to the Embassy as well and ordinary citizens of course including Muslim people and solidarity is very important.  We were also very moved by the illumination of Trafalgar Square yesterday by the Mayor and other iconic buildings and for us it is very important, it’s sympathy, it’s solidarity and it’s also cooperation on intelligence and protection.  

DM: Well that is the point, expressions of solidarity are comforting but we’d never want this to happen again in France or indeed in the United Kingdom, how practically then does that cooperation manifest itself?  You mentioned there briefly particularly the sharing of intelligence.

SILVIE BERMANN: Yes, we have increased our intelligence sharing, all our agencies are working together and the Home Secretary is in constant contact with our Minister of the Interior and he was in London a few days ago and of course we want to increase not only intelligence sharing but resources as well.  

DM: But of course obviously there has been a major failure in intelligence and indeed after Charlie Hebdo we were told how things had changed, how the security, how intelligence had been stepped up yet still they got through.  

SILVIE BERMANN: The difference between Friday’s event and Charlie Hebdo event is that was a professional attack and coming from abroad it has been planned, organised by ISIL and this is different.  After Charlie Hebdo attacked we had a new surveillance law, we had also the deployment of 7000 troops on the street in order to protect mosques, synagogues, churches and so on, schools but this time it is different because it was a co-ordinated attack in many places in Paris with suicide bombers, which is the first time also in France, showing that it is coming from the Middle East so it is a different situation and we decided to deploy 3000 more men. Of course it is very difficult to follow everyone 24 hours a day but we will do our utmost of course.  

DM:  What’s the discussion now about migration, about open borders, the Schengen Agreement between those members of the European Union that have implemented it and you mentioned perhaps the arms coming from the Middle East, it seems according to Greek authorities that also two of the assailants also came from there as well.  

SILVIE BERMANN: What we know is that we found identity cards and passports and enquiries are underway of course but we have to strengthen the external borders of Schengen, we have to really put in place in all the hotspots where we are supposed to do the screening and to know who is coming …

DM: Sorry to interject but is France effectively suspending Schengen at the moment?  

SILVIE BERMANN: Well under Schengen Agreement it can be suspended for extraordinary reasons which is the case now and also because we are preparing the COP21 on the environment in Paris and a lot of Heads of States are coming so it means that yes, we will have border checks.  

DM: And what discussions about those border checks, of course the common border between the United Kingdom and France, much discussion about that over the years anyway when it comes to migration, to refugees, to asylum seekers, are more discussions taking place about making that even more secure to prevent the passage perhaps of people and certainly of the weaponry?

SILVIE BERMANN: We have to continue also to discuss that with the European Union and with all our partners.  For the time being we are of course in contact with the UK government but also with the Belgian government because there are accomplices there.  

DM: Has France also got a view on the United Kingdom’s participation against Daesh, against Islamic State, in that the UK, as you know the UK’s military involvement only extends aerially to the Iraqi border.  Do you think now that discussions will take place about extending that British activity into Syria itself?

SILVIE BERMANN: Well it is difficult to comment because it is not only a government decision but they have decided to consult with the parliament.  If they do participate like us of course we will appreciate because we have always fought side by side but it is their decision.  

DM: So if that decision was taken you say it would be appreciated?  

SILVIE BERMANN: Well yes, of course because we would be stronger also and we have to fight side by side if we want to defeat terrorism.  

DM: Madame Ambassador, Silvie Bermann, thank you very much indeed.  The French Ambassador to the United Kingdom there.