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Daily Press Briefing Statements made by [Please note that only the original French text issued by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be considered official.]
MESSAGE FOR THE WALL FOR PEACE FROM THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS
I will read the message the minister of foreign and European affairs sent yesterday:
“I call on my Israeli and Palestinian friends to work earnestly for peace. A historic opportunity presents itself to us with the presence in authority, in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, of men of goodwill, sincerely bent on peace and dialogue. This conflict has gone on only too long.
“Since Oslo, Camp David, Taba, Geneva and the Arab League initiative, each side has known the outlines of the solution and its conditions: the end to settlements and the foundation of a viable, democratic and independent Palestinian state living in peace and security alongside Israel.
“The road before us is still arduous. Many sacrifices will have to be made, many risks taken, many dreams abandoned. But this is the price to pay for the emergence of a new Middle East where diversity will be a rich asset rather than a source of hate and tension.
“You should know that the international community, with Europe and France in the forefront, stands ready to assist you on this path.”
IRAQ/DEATH OF THE CHALDEAN ARCHBISHOP OF MOSUL
I will read the communiqué issued by the Ministry yesterday:
“We were deeply shocked to learn of the death of Mgr Faraj Rahho, Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul, who was kidnapped on February 29 this year.
“France condemns this heinous act in the strongest possible terms.
“It expresses its heartfelt condolences to Mgr Rahho’s family, to his Beatitude Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, and its solidarity with all Iraq’s Christians in this latest bereavement.
“Faced with the violence which plunges this country into mourning every day, it reiterates that every community must be able to have its place in a democratic and peaceful Iraq guaranteeing everyone civil liberties and freedom of worship.”
Foreign and European Affairs Minister Bernard Kouchner was approached by the World Congress of Serbs over the fact that medicines from Serbia intended for the town of Gracanica in Kosovo had been blocked at the border between Serbia and Kosovo because they lacked the necessary transport documents.
He instructed our representatives in Pristina to contact UNMIK and the Kosovar authorities, especially Health Minister Alush Gashi. Our representatives informed the latter that we wanted the Serbs of Kosovo to receive these supplies of medicines. This morning the Kosovar health minister signed a decision asking his administration to do what was necessary so that the medicines can be delivered and requesting that the list of medicines and their expiration date be brought to the knowledge of the Health Ministry.
The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs will continue to follow this question closely in liaison with the local authorities so that the imperatives of public health are respected.
(…)
Q - Who is holding up the medicines and why?
The medicines are being held up at the border. I don’t know where the order came from. We know that the medicines are no longer getting across. That’s why we intervened, to ensure that these medicines can be delivered.
(…)
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
France welcomes the adoption on March 13, 2008 of UN Security Council resolution 1804 on the FDLR and other armed Rwandan groups operation in the east of the DRC.
The resolution was presented to the Security Council at France’s initiative in close consultation with its Council partners, primarily the US, Britain and Belgium. Mr. Kouchner traveled to the Kivus on January 26.
The resolution marks the determination of the entire international community to end the threat to Congolese civilians in eastern Congo from armed Rwandan groups and to ensure stability in the region. It sends a clear signal and further warning to them that to lay down their arms without delay and without conditions.
The Institut Diplomatique, founded in 2001 at Hubert Védrine’s suggestion, will hold its eighth training session on Monday, March 17, for a period of nine weeks. The session will focus on European issues and Latin America. Also on the program will be the macro-economic prospects of emerging countries, transnational governance, energy issues, environment questions and official development assistance.
The program is offered to French diplomats and auditors from other ministries, the French parliament, European parliament, companies and nongovernmental organizations. Diplomats from other countries are also welcome at each session which is attended by about 30 people.
EXHIBITION: THE ORIGINS OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL THROUGH FRENCH DIPLOMATIC ARCHIVES
Q - Can we visit the exhibition of diplomatic archives?
We’re planning to arrange a visit for journalists with the archivists from the Quai d’Orsay who’ve mounted the exhibition. It’s an exhibition drawn from the collection of archives, organized for the state visit by President Shimon Peres, which covers everything that was done with respect to the birth of Israel.
Q - Since President Bush has vetoed the limits imposed on the CIA during interrogations, I’d like to know what constraints are placed on similar services in France. I imagine they’re not permitted to use the same methods.
We are committed to the application of all the international texts and in particular international humanitarian law, specifically the Geneva Convention and the International Convention against Torture. For us these are the rules that must be applied.
Q - In France’s view, water-boarding…is banned then!
We wish to see all the obligations and provisions of the Convention against Torture applied.
Q - So it’s a convention which bans that kind of practice?
Reread the Convention against Torture. It bans all inhuman, cruel and degrading treatment.
Q - Are you asking states to apply this Convention?
All states that have signed these texts must obviously apply them.
Q - Chad and Sudan reached a new agreement yesterday. I wanted to know whether France is involved one way or another in the follow-up of this agreement for the international community or in a bilateral capacity. I’d also like your assessment of this agreement which isn’t the first and may not be the last.
We welcome the signing of this agreement between the presidents of Sudan and Chad, brokered by the Senegalese and Gabonese presidents, and witnessed by the UN secretary-general.
The agreement aims to stabilize the region, and there can be no lasting stability in Chad or a political settlement of the Darfur crisis without the normalization of relations between Khartoum and N’djamena.
It is important for the mechanism for consultation in the agreement to be quickly implemented so confidence between the two countries can be built up and the border monitored.
To reply to your question about French involvement, I can tell you that a French envoy--Pierre André-Wiltzer—was sent there as an observer by President Sarkozy to show French support for the agreement.
For the rest, I want to take advantage of this agreement to renew our condemnation of all attempts to destabilize the legal governments, as reported by the UN and African Union.
Q - Will you be involved one way or another in the mechanism or in the procedures for consultation in the event of disagreement?
For the time being, no, as far as I know. It’s an agreement between the Chadians and Sudanese. I don’t know the details. As I said, it was reached in the presence of the UN secretary-general and a French envoy there as an observer.
Q - What more does the agreement offer in relation to the other pacts signed between the two countries which didn’t work?
It’s an agreement between the presidents of Sudan and Chad. It shows their goodwill whereas just a few weeks ago, as we saw, there were certain difficulties between them to say the least. We hope to see a stabilization of the regional situation in a few days, in particular thanks to this agreement.
Q - Do you have any information about the situation inside Chad where the crackdowns are continuing and certain opposition leaders have reportedly disappeared? The papers are saying that the French tanks recently delivered to the Chadian army are being used to demolish certain districts of the city.
I’ve no information about that. On the other hand, we’re continuing to look into the situation of Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh who is still missing.
Q - Does France think that sending a Lebanese representative to the summit in Damascus is a positive thing for resolving the current deadlock in Lebanon or do you think it would be better not to since there’s no elected president?
It’s not my place to comment on who is or is not going to the Arab League summit. With regard to Lebanon, our next date is March 25, and we hope that this session will finally result in the election of a consensus president. The fact that the Lebanese are invited to the Arab League summit is an important factor but it doesn’t change our position with respect to the session on March 25.
We continue to support the Arab League plan and the initiative with respect to General Suleiman.
Q - And concerning the two other points?
We support the entire Arab League Plan. We hope that the March 25 session will produce a positive outcome in this crisis which has been going on now for far too long. We’ve seen the election postponed 16 times.
Q - I’d like your comments about the legislative elections in Iraq. What are you expecting from them? A change for example?
Let’s wait for the elections to be held. I can’t comment on them before I know the results. You can ask me afterwards.
(…)
I’d like to remind you that on Tuesday, the briefing will be given by the minister of foreign and European affairs.
Embassy of France, March 14, 2008
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