The influence of French around the world, from Lebanon to Guinea, is on the wane, says Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of La Francophonie, in an interview with AFP a few days before the opening of the 19th Francophonie summit in Villers-Cotterêts. "The French language is declining, but the number of speakers is increasing (...) We need to teach the French language, and teaching is a costly business." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES