| Publications | France A-Z | France/U.S. Relations | France in the U.S. | News | Aller aux Etats-Unis | Just for Kids | Going to France | Contact |
|
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.]
(…)
Q - Do you have any comment following the UN secretary-general’s decision to set up a special task force to deal with the food crisis?
Everything that can help provide a response to the global food crisis is positive. As you know on the French side we’ve established an interministerial panel and we’re discussing the situation with our European partners. It’s a major issue in international affairs now, and everything that helps provide a response to the crisis is positive.
Q - About the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement regarding Georgia. Do you share the analysis that Georgia is preparing for a war against its breakaway provinces?
We do not share this analysis.
Q - Are you going to discuss the question with Mr. Lavrov?
This is part of the contacts which we’ll be having in Luxembourg. The French position is clear: we are committed to respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia, and we call on all parties to avoid any action, any provocation, that could escalate things. We want to see calm dialogue between the parties. I would remind you that the UN Security Council adopted a resolution last April--UNSCR 1808--which reaffirms the international community’s attachment to Georgia’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. I also wish to recall that the European Union presidency asked Russia on April 18 not to implement its decision to strengthen ties with the Georgian separatist republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. So we’re calling for dialogue in order to reach a peaceful settlement.
Q - There’s been a certain optimism in Lebanese political circles in the past few days about the possibility of electing a president on May 13. (…) Do you share this optimism evident in political circles?
I note with interest the comments you report. We hope that the May 13 deadline will finally lead to the election of a consensus president. General Suleiman has the support of the entire Arab League. We remain committed to the three-point Arab League plan and we hope that it will lead to a solution.
Q - Have you had a reaction from the Lebanese authorities or any other Lebanese party, following France’s protest over the incident in which a French representative to the Socialist International was detained in Beirut? (…)
We are counting on the diligence of the Lebanese authorities to elucidate what happened. Once we have something new, we’ll tell you about it.
(…)
Q - Can you give us a reaction to Turkish moves to facilitate peace between Syria and Israel?
I don’t have any particular details about the moves you’re referring to, but we’re in favor of anything that could take the peace process forward. We hope that the momentum from Annapolis is going to produce results.
A meeting is to be held in London in a few days. There are efforts by various parties concerned, we know this and we really hope that all of this will take the peace process forward.
Q - About the Turkish initiative, the proposal according to the Syrian president, would be for Israel to return the Golan Heights to Syria in exchange for a peace agreement. Is this consistent with what France is seeking in regard to the 1967 borders?
The peace agreement will be a comprehensive agreement and the discussions, the negotiations, will be between the parties. Once the parties agree on this and on all the issues, there will be a comprehensive agreement.
I don’t know what the reactions of the two parties concerned are at this time. Let’s hope that this type of proposal will help advance the peace process, but there will have to be agreement of all parties for a final settlement.
Q - A question about the negotiations between the Israelis and Hamas. Are you in touch with the Egyptian or Israeli authorities? Is France taking part in these efforts?
The minister had contacts in Kuwait. He also had contacts with his Egyptian counterpart when President Mubarak was in Paris. Our objective is to improve the situation in Gaza. Everything that can help ease the situation, and that is precisely what the Egyptian efforts are aimed at, we encourage and support.
Q - Are you satisfied with the situation?
What we want are results. We are satisfied with everything that can help ease the situation but we know that the situation in Gaza is tragic.
Q - In Cuba the government has just announced the remission of death sentences. (…) What’s your assessment of developments in Cuba since Raoul Castro took the helm. Do you see some improvement, some move towards greater openness on the part of the regime?
It is a little too soon to come to definite conclusions but the gestures which you mention about the remission of penalties are positive, and everything that can lead to greater openness in Cuba, everything that can lead to progress in human rights, will be welcome.
Q - It’s a hundred days to the opening of the Olympic Games. Are you satisfied with the development of relations between France and China?
Yes. Relations between France and China are very close. They are framed by the strategic partnership between our two countries, and there were several contacts last week at various levels.
In referring to the Olympic Games, you probably wanted to discuss the aftermath of the demonstrations which we’ve been seeing. We call for dialogue between the Chinese authorities and the Dalai Lama, and we noted with considerable interest and satisfaction the announcement by the Chinese authorities that such a dialogue was in fact going to be held soon.
Q - The Chinese authorities have said they’re ready to resume dialogue but, if I’m not mistaken, the Dalai Lama hasn’t officially responded.
Let’s wait for him to reply. It’s between him and the Chinese authorities.
Q - The Dalai Lama has voiced doubts and reservations about the sincerity of the offer of dialogue.
That’s your interpretation. We’d like to see the dialogue take place and we hope that it will now that the Chinese authorities are encouraging it.
(…)
Q - Can you tell us about the minister’s trip to Colombia? Will there be a round table? What means is France thinking of using to pursue these negotiations? The ambassador said that France will keep on trying to find these hostages.
As you know, France, the president and the minister are determined about getting the hostages released, particularly Ingrid Betancourt. Bernard Kouchner is visiting these three countries, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, at the president’s request, to try with the three presidents, President Uribe, President Correa and President Chavez, to revive the dynamic created at the beginning of the year when the six hostages were released, which the Venezuelan president had contributed to significantly. That’s the purpose of the minister’s trip.
Let’s wait for the minister to return before drawing conclusions about this trip. What is certain, I will say this again, is that we’ll be working tirelessly, pursuing every effort, to find a humanitarian solution quickly to the tragedy of Ingrid Betancourt and the other FARC hostages.
Q - Is the minister talking with the Americans about this and about the three American hostages?
We are all working for the release of our hostages but we must be discrete in matters of this sort. In a situation where one country has nationals held hostage, everyone has only one idea--to secure the release of these hostages.
Q - France is in favor of an agreement between the EU and Serbia. Are you also in favor of going ahead with the agreement on condition the demand to hand over Mladic and Karadzic to the International Criminal Tribunal is eased?
I don’t want to second-guess what happens in Luxembourg today. Let’s wait for the end of the discussions, but I don’t think you should talk of “easing.” We all want the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to be able to do its job. There were simply discussions as to whether this condition should be attached to the signing of the agreement or its ratification, and that’s the purpose of the talks in Luxembourg today, especially with the Netherlands and Belgium. What we want is to see results. The signing is one thing, and we hope it happens in Luxembourg today, and then comes ratification. But the condition laid down is full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, especially with regard to Mladic and Karadzic, and we remain committed to this, of course.
Q - So you favor the formula of postponing it to ratification?
It’s not a question of postponing. There must be results. We are ready to sign the agreement today as the Slovenian presidency has proposed. We know perfectly well that after the signature, there’s another stage--ratification.
(…)./.
Communiqué issued by Foreign and European Affairs Minister Bernard Kouchner (Paris, April 29, 2008)
“I welcome the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement between the European Union and Serbia in Luxembourg today at the General Affairs/External Relations Council.
“This agreement underscores Serbia’s destiny in Europe. It is a success for all who are convinced, as I am, that the future of Serbia is in the European Union.
“With this agreement, Serbia advances on the path to European integration. The European Union reiterates its wish to work with Serbia in the European spirit and on the basis of common values
“It is also a success for French diplomacy which has been fully mobilized with respect to our European partners, especially the contacts I have maintained with my counterparts, to reach this new stage today./.”
Embassy of France, April 30, 2008
|
