PARIS, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- French President Francois Hollande said President-elect Frank-Walter Steinmeier is a "valued partner" to push forward bilateral links and further reinforce the European bloc.
Hollande also warmly congratulated Steinmeier, according to a statement released on Sunday by his office.
German Federal Assembly elected the former foreign minister as president, succeeding Joachim Gauck who refused to seek an second mandate for health reasons.
