Mr. Speaker, for several days now Bloc Quebecois members seem to have been on cloud nine following a statement made by President Chirac.
I would like to bring them back to earth to tell them that France's Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin, confirmed that, in the very unlikely event of a yes vote in a hypothetical referendum in Quebec, France would have to assess Quebeckers' decision, as well as Canada's assessment of it, before taking a decision.
That is a clear and precise statement consistent with the 1995 Helsinki agreement guaranteeing the territorial integrity of participating states. It should be noted that France and Canada are signatories to this agreement.