Mr Hollande also said he would be firm on demands made by the Muslim community, saying he supported France's ban on face-covering veils and would not allow separate hours in swimming pools for men and women.
It is significant that the value of Talisman shares have fallen by more than 20% during the past few months in the face of an active disinvestment campaign supported by many of the signatories of the December 9 letter, and following media reports on Talisman's involvement in Sudan.