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GV Conference building
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SV Chirac speaking to journalists in French (5 shots)
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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: INTRODUCTION: Jacques Chirac, Mayor of Paris and former Prime Minister of France, yesterday (10 February) announced is decision to run in the Presidential elections in April.

SYNOPSIS: The 48-year-old Gaullist leader made the announcement at a Paris news conference.

M. Chirac received the overwhelming endorsement of the Gaullist party in his decision to run for presidential office. Speaking to the press about his candidacy, he said he would be running a serious campaign and he had every intention of winning.

Outlining his political programme, M. Chirac said that in his view, France was approaching the time when it would have to review the rules relating to the European community -- although he declared he was in favour of strengthening European solidarity. He went on to say that everybody was well aware that we were living in a period of history in which nationalism was getting stronger and stronger. While armaments remained at a high level in certain countries, notably the Soviet Union and the United States, France would have to reinforce its own capability for nuclear intervention.

M. Chirac is the third candidate to announce a decision to run in the election. Communist Party leader George Marchais and Socialist leader Francois Mitterrand have already done so. President Giscard d'Estaing is also certain to seek re-election.