Ukrainian clinics have signed more than 100 memorandums of understanding as part of the international medical partnership program launched under the patronage of Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska.
According to the Ministry of Health, 26 of these memorandums were signed with medical institutions in France and are being implemented with the support of Expertise France, the French interministerial agency for international cooperation and development.
For example, as part of the partnership, the Chernihiv Regional Children’s Hospital is collaborating with the University Hospital of Lille, and the Chernihiv Regional Psychoneurological Hospital is collaborating with the University Hospital of Nîmes.
The Ministry of Health notes that in June 2024, the governments of Ukraine and France signed an intergovernmental grant agreement totaling 200 million euros, part of which is allocated to the healthcare sector and critical infrastructure: seven agreements in the healthcare sector have been signed, totaling 51 million euros. In addition, in 2024, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ratified framework agreements between Ukraine and France on cooperation in the reconstruction and modernization of hospitals and in oncology diagnostics.
FRANCE, international partnership, MEDICINE, Ministry of Health
France and Italy have opposed the European Union’s initiative to draft trade agreements exclusively in English in order to speed up the negotiation process, citing constitutional constraints and risks to the multilingual nature of EU institutions, the Financial Times reports.
According to the publication, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič proposed drafting the legal and technical “text” of a new trade agreement with Indonesia entirely in English, with the final text subsequently translated into all 24 official EU languages.
Typically, the process of finalizing trade agreements takes up to two years, as all changes must be agreed upon and implemented in all EU languages. The proposed approach, according to Šefčovič, should reduce the preparation time to one year.
He notes that delays in the process of concluding agreements lead to economic losses and postpone the benefits of trade agreements.
At the same time, France and Italy have expressed objections, citing constitutional provisions and the principle of multilingualism. A French official stated: “This is a matter of the French Constitution. France cannot be bound by or assume obligations under a text that is not drafted in French.”
However, according to sources, there is broad support among EU member states for the idea of accelerating agreement-conclusion procedures.
The European Commission notes that the use of English during the legal and technical drafting phase is standard practice in international negotiations and does not imply a refusal to translate the final documents.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) into China’s economy fell by 10.3% year-over-year in January–April, to 287.69 billion yuan ($42 billion), according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The manufacturing sector attracted 78.9 billion yuan, while the services sector attracted 204.2 billion yuan. Notably, investment in high-tech industries rose by 20.3% to reach 166.3 billion yuan.
Luxembourg more than doubled its FDI (by 110.3%), Switzerland increased it by 60.8%, France by 58.3%, and the U.S. by 24.5%, according to data from the ministry cited by Xinhua News Agency.
In January–April, 20,113 new enterprises with foreign capital were registered in China, which was 6.8% higher than the figure for the same period in 2025.
As reported, FDI for 2025 fell by 9.5% to 747.7 billion yuan.
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has proposed imposing a temporary three-year moratorium on legal immigration, stating that the country has reached the limits of its capacity to integrate and assimilate newcomers.
According to Le Parisien, citing Darmanin’s interview with the Journal du Dimanche, the minister believes it is necessary to “put an end to immigration as it exists today.” He proposes suspending legal immigration for three years and reforming the Constitution to introduce binding, rather than merely advisory, quotas on the entry of foreigners.
Darmainin had previously advocated for a temporary suspension of regular immigration for two to three years. This would apply to labor migration and family reunification, though exceptions could be maintained for doctors, researchers, and certain categories of students. Following the moratorium, the minister proposed transitioning to a system of immigration quotas, the volume of which would be determined after consultation with citizens.
Darmann’s proposal has not yet been adopted as state policy. Its implementation would require a political decision, a legislative process, and, according to the minister himself, a constitutional amendment. However, the initiative signals an intensification of the migration debate in France ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Potential restrictions could affect several key channels of legal entry: labor migration, certain student programs, and family reunification. At the same time, France faces a shortage of foreign workers in medicine, science, certain service sectors, and professions with labor shortages, making a potential moratorium politically and economically contentious.
The issue of migration remains a central one in French domestic politics. According to Le Monde, in 2025 the country issued over 380,000 initial residence permits to citizens of non-EU countries, an 11% increase from the previous year. About half of the new permits were issued to students and for humanitarian reasons: international students received about 118,000 permits, humanitarian categories—about 92,000, family migration accounted for about 91,000, while professional immigration fell by nearly 13%—to approximately 51,000 permits.
Historically, the overall structure of immigration to France has been dominated by people from North Africa and Southern Europe. According to data cited by The Connexion based on INSEE, among immigrants by country of birth, the largest groups are those from Algeria—12.4%, Morocco—11.7%, Portugal—7.3%, Tunisia (4.9%), Italy (3.6%), Turkey (3.4%), and Spain (3.1%). These seven countries account for 46.4% of all immigrants in France.
Ukrainians occupy a distinct place in France’s current migration landscape as recipients of temporary protection following the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. According to Eurostat, as of the end of March 2026, 4.33 million Ukrainian citizens and residents were granted temporary protection in EU countries. The largest countries hosting refugees were Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Eurostat’s country-specific tables for France as of March 2026 indicate approximately 70,700 people under temporary protection.
For France, a potential moratorium would mark one of the most drastic shifts in migration policy in recent years. For businesses, it could mean more difficult access to foreign labor; for universities, the risk of a reduction in international enrollment; and for family-based immigration programs, additional uncertainty. At the same time, Ukrainians under temporary protection are governed by a separate European regime that operates within the framework of EU decisions and is not considered ordinary labor or family-based immigration.
Ukrainians’ attitude toward France in March 2026 remains one of the highest among the countries surveyed. According to the results of a sociological survey conducted in March 2026 by the research company Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center, 74.6% of respondents rate their attitude toward France as positive, which is only slightly lower than the 75.0% recorded in August 2025. At the same time, the share of negative assessments rose from 4.0% to 4.7%, indicating minimal but noticeable shifts in the balance of public opinion.
In the breakdown of responses, 30.3% of respondents indicated a “completely positive” attitude toward France, while another 44.3% described it as “mostly positive.” A neutral position was taken by 20.3% of respondents. Negative assessments remain low: 3.3% answered “mostly negative,” 1.4% — “completely negative,” while 0.5% were undecided.
Despite the overall stability of the indicators, a slight decrease in the share of positive assessments and a simultaneous increase in negative responses may indicate a gradual shift in perception. This does not signify a radical change in attitude, but demonstrates that public opinion is becoming more sensitive to the foreign policy context and the information landscape.
France traditionally remains an important partner for Ukrainians in the political and security spheres, which largely explains the high level of positive perception. At the same time, even minor fluctuations in the figures indicate that Ukrainians’ assessments are not static and may change depending on current events and signals in international politics.
It is also significant that the share of neutral responses remains relatively small compared to other countries. This means that most respondents have formed a clear perception of France, which is typically a sign of the country’s deeper presence in Ukraine’s information and public sphere.
“Attitudes toward France demonstrate an established and stable perception of partnership. Even with minor fluctuations, the overall level of trust remains high, indicating the stability of political and humanitarian ties. It is important for Ukraine to maintain this momentum through practical cooperation projects that reinforce the sense of mutual benefit,” noted Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
Thus, the survey results confirm that France remains among the countries with the highest level of positive perception in Ukraine. Minor changes in the indicators do not affect the overall trend but point to the need for constant maintenance of active dialogue and interaction between the countries.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center based on data from the State Customs Service, France ranks thirteenth in terms of total trade in goods with Ukraine, which amounts to $2.93 billion. Imports from France significantly exceed the volume of Ukrainian exports, resulting in a substantial trade deficit.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, FRANCE, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
From May 1, 2026, France will increase a number of immigration fees and introduce new payments for foreigners, which will increase the cost of moving and legalizing in the country. The changes are provided for in the French budget law for 2026, and the increase in stamp duty on citizenship applications is already reflected on the official Service-Public portal.
According to the updated rules, the cost of the first residence permit will increase from €200 to €300, the preferential rate for certain categories will increase from €50 to €100, and the cost of obtaining a duplicate or making changes to a residence permit card will increase from €25 to €50. At the same time, the renewal of most residence permits will remain at €200, and €50 for preferential categories.
One of the most notable changes will be the increase in the stamp duty for applying for French citizenship to €255 from €55. In addition, a new fee of €100 will be introduced for an autorisation provisoire de séjour (temporary residence permit), as well as a €40 fee for exchanging a foreign driver’s license for a French one.
The increase in fees comes against the backdrop of broader budget consolidation in France. The country’s budget for 2026 is designed to reduce the deficit to 5% of GDP from an estimated 5.4% a year earlier. Against this backdrop, part of the administrative costs are being passed on to applicants.
