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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.]
MIDDLE EAST
I would like to recall the statement made by the spokesman yesterday regarding the attack on an Israeli bus in the northern part of the West Bank.
"We were appalled to learn of a new attack just committed today in the northern part of the West Bank which has caused many victims.
"We offer our sincerest condolences to their families.
"France condemns most strongly this new terrorist act which, once again, is intended to block peace efforts even as the members of the Quartet (United States, Russia, United Nations, European Union) are meeting in New York to try to re-launch the peace process in the Middle East. We will not accept the negotiations being taken hostage by acts of violence. Nothing will be obtained through terror."
I also wish to recall the statement the spokesman made last night after Mr. de Villepin's meeting with Mr. Blix:
"The minister received today, July 16, the executive chairman of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) who briefed him on the discussions conducted by the U.N. secretary-general with Iraq in Vienna on July 4 and 5.
"Mr. de Villepin, for his part, gave Mr. Blix his analysis of the situation and our expectations after his recent meetings in the Middle East, Moscow and Washington.
"The minister recalled that he is encouraging the dialogue between the Secretariat and Iraq on the immediate return of the inspectors, without hindrance. Their return is an essential priority, and Iraq would be well advised to accept this without delay."
Foreign Minister de Villepin worked with Joschka Fischer for a long time last night at their meeting in the Blaesheim format.
The two ministers exchanged analyses and compared views on the main European issues at this time: the European convention, enlargement.
They also discussed relaunching the Franco-German relationship ahead of the Schwerin summit and the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty.
In regard to the re-launch they focused more specifically on security and defense, culture, education and research.
The Middle East and Iraq were also discussed at length.
The foreign minister will go to Angola and Mozambique on July 19 and 20, then to Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire on July 21.
In Angola Mr. de Villepin will meet with the President of the Republic of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos.
The visit should be a further stimulus to the relations which have linked France to Angola for many years. It will be an opportunity to demonstrate France's wish to strengthen its ties with that country. The minister will express our resolve to support the peace process in Angola which should at last lead to a definitive reconciliation.
The minister will also discuss with the Angolan authorities the role that Angola plays on the regional scene, especially in Congo-Brazzaville and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The minister will express France's solidarity with Angola and our wish to help the country move towards development and reconstruction.
To demonstrate this commitment, he will travel to the interior of the country, to the province of Huambo where he will visit among other places a regrouping camp for former UNITA soldiers and their families. Our solidarity with Angola has led the French government to provide special emergency humanitarian assistance of nine million euros. The aircraft which the minister is using will also be carrying medical equipment (a surgical unit and health unit) which will be unloaded at Huambo.
In Mozambique the minister will meet with President Chissano to reaffirm France's commitment to Mozambique. France intends to support Mozambique, a benchmark in regard to good governance. After 17 years of civil war and a successful process of reconciliation, Mozambique has been able to win the confidence of donors. France has expressed its sympathy to this country which has suffered greatly from flooding over the last two years. The minister will also discuss with President Chissano questions of regional interest, in particular NEPAD, the African Union, official development assistance and the situation in Madagascar.
After Maputo, Mr. de Villepin will visit Ouagadougou then Yamoussoukro where he will meet with President Blaise Compaoré and President Laurent Gbagbo.
The minister will discuss with these close partners of France the long-standing, close, friendly relations France has with Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire. Current African and international issues will also naturally be addressed in the framework of the trustful, regular, political dialogue we have with both countries.
In Ouagadougou the minister will visit the Charles de Gaulle pediatric hospital and the national police academy, both projects involving significant French cooperation (our official development assistance to Burkina Faso for 2002 is nearly 50 million euros). The minister will offer his interlocutors in Burkina Faso France's encouragement for democratic consolidation in the country which received a boost from the legislative elections in April.
In Yamoussoukro, the village where Félix Houphouët-Boigny was born, the minister will pay tribute to the country's first head of state. With President Laurent Gbagbo, Mr. de Villepin will discuss Franco-Ivoirian relations. As you know, France made a special financial effort at the beginning of this year to enable Côte d'Ivoire to reestablish ties with the international financial community. Our official development assistance to Côte d'Ivoire is 300 million euros for 2002. It is intended to help the new-found growth by strengthening the country's economic apparatus and institutional mechanisms.
The Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Noëlle Lenoir, met yesterday with Franz Fischler, the European Commissioner for Agriculture, who was in Paris to discuss the Commission's proposals concerning the mid-term review of the common agricultural policy. Ms Lenoir said at the meeting that the French authorities were concerned about any interaction between the enlargement negotiations and a premature debate on the future of the CAP, a concern which is shared by many of our European partners.
She said that France was prepared to engage in such a debate, but at the right time, in the framework of discussions on the whole range of financial prospects for 2007-2013, as the president and prime minister said recently. France, which is very committed to the goal of rural development, could not accept reforms that would bring into question the economic viability of French farms.
The "Quartet" met in New York yesterday at ministerial level. It then met the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan and a representative of Saudi Arabia.
These meetings, in our opinion, helped to take advantage of converging or complementary views in order to move forward in the search for a solution to the Mideast conflict in the direction sought by European heads of state and government at Seville, by President Bush in his speech on June 24 and by the Arab heads of state at their Beirut summit.
We note the following important results:
- the Quartet emphasizes the need to move forward at the same time on the political, economic and humanitarian fronts and on reform and security;
- it affirms the need to hold elections in the Palestinian Territories;
- it supports the idea of an international conference when the time comes, a point the minister has stressed before.
Now there has to be progress without delay on the lines mapped out at this important meeting. Yesterday's appalling attack was a reminder to all of the urgency of the peace efforts.
Q - Are you aware that U.S. justice officials are to permit French diplomats to meet Zacarias Moussaoui? If yes, who will go and when?
Mr. Moussaoui let it be known that he wished to have a visit from a French consular official.
We're instructing the Consulate General in Washington to visit Mr. Moussaoui under article 36 of the 1963 Vienna Convention on consular relations.
Q - Do you have any comment on the Spanish occupation of the island of Perejil off Ceuta and are you worried the situation will escalate?
We are concerned about the current tension and very much hope that the deterioration in relations between these two countries, both friends of France, will cease in the interest of restoring calm and good neighborly relations. The minister is having regular, direct contacts with his Spanish and Moroccan counterparts on this situation.
Q - Were the French authorities contacted by Madrid or Rabat with a view to facilitating mediation?
As I just said, the minister is having regular direct contacts with his Spanish and Moroccan counterparts.
Q - Can you confirm that Mr. de Villepin had a meeting with CRIF [representative council of Jewish institutions in France] yesterday and if so tell us that was said at the meeting, especially about anti-Semitic acts in France?
I can confirm that Mr. de Villepin was invited yesterday by the CRIF and met with its representatives. As for the content of the talks, I must refer you to the CRIF which has just issued a communiqué, I believe.
The minister made comments about anti-Semitic acts just recently during his trip to Washington. I refer you to what he said then./.
Embassy of France, July 17, 2002
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