Chirac salutes German parliament's approval of EU constitution

PARIS - French President Jacques Chirac on Thursday hailed the approval by Germany's lower house of parliament of the EU constitution, which occurred less than three weeks before France votes on the landmark treaty.
"The president of the Republic is delighted with the Bundestag's vote, the first step in the ratification of the constitutional treaty in Germany before the Bundesrat votes on May 27," said Chirac's spokesman Jerome Bonnafont.
"With this vote, the German deputies have once again shown their attachment to European integration. It's an important decision with a view to the coming into force of the treaty," the spokesman said.
The constitution received 569 votes in favour in Germany's Bundestag, with 23 votes against and two abstentions.
The Bundesrat will vote on May 27, just two days before French voters cast their ballots in a referendum on the constitution.
France is deeply divided over the treaty, with opinion polls showing the "yes' and 'no' camps in a statistical dead heat.

05/12/2005 17:34 GMT