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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.]
ISRAEL/LEBANON/GERMANY
France welcomes the transfer of Israeli prisoners or their remains to the Israeli authorities and the release of many Lebanese prisoners and other Arab nationals held in Israel.
It is pleased at this development and congratulates the parties who had a part in this negotiation.
France hopes that this positive development will help ease tensions between Israel and Lebanon and improve the climate in the region.
(...) We condemn all acts of violence. And I repeat, we reiterate our call for an immediate halt to all acts of violence and for the resumption of a genuine political process. This call is even more pressing after the serious events you referred to.
President Laurent Gbagbo of Côte d’Ivoire will arrive in France for a visit on February 3. He will have a meeting with the president followed by a working luncheon at the Elysée on February 5.
(...)
Q - What’s happening about sending Blue Helmets to reinforce the French troops—4,500 soldiers if my memory serves me correctly—and ECOWAS forces who would be integrated?
A report by the UN secretary general, which we support, proposes a peace-keeping operation with a force of 6,240. Consultations at the UN are continuing.
Q - Do you know the composition of the force? Would the French forces on the ground be part of this international force?
The Licorne force will remain as it is. That’s something we’ve said from the beginning, and the minister has made clear statements about it several times.
As to the composition, as I just said, consultations are continuing. It is too soon to have definite information.
Foreign Minister de Villepin will go to Côte d’Ivoire on February 1. In Abidjan he will have talks with President Laurent Gbagbo whom he last met in Libreville on November 21. This meeting, which was scheduled some time ago, will allow the two to review the process of reconciliation in Côte d’Ivoire a year after the Marcoussis agreements were signed. It comes just ahead of President Gbagbo’s visit to Paris.
Q - Has the trip to Bouaké been totally abandoned? At one point people thought it would be a preliminary to coming to Paris. In fact, he never went. There’s never been any agreement with the rebels.
We understand that President Gbagbo could not in the end travel to Bouaké in the next few days, but that does not detract at all from the interest of a meeting with the president to review progress in the Marcoussis process.
The foreign minister will be traveling in Latin America from February 2-5, to Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, long-standing partners of France with which we wish to strengthen the ties linking us from both the historical and cultural standpoints. The minister’s meetings with the highest authorities in these countries will deal with the main international questions and bilateral relations.
The visit to Latin America begins with Chile on Monday, February 2, were the minister will have talks with President Lagos and his counterpart, Soledad Alvear. He will also have a meeting with individuals from the intellectual and political world.
In Argentina, on Tuesday, February 3, the minister will be received by President Kirchner and his counterpart, Rafael Biels. He will visit a charitable association, Asamblea Popular, and also meet with a group of Argentine intellectuals.
In Brazil, on Wednesday, February 4, the minister will meet President Lula da Silva, Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and Cultural Minister Gilberto Gil. He will give a speech at the Rio Branco diplomatic institute.
In Mexico, on Thursday February 5, the minister meets his counterpart, Luis Ernesto Derbez.
The minister will take part in the international conference on the reconstruction of Liberia on February 6, 2004 in New York. It will be held under the presidency of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and will be attended by Secretary of State Colin Powell, several ECOWAS foreign ministers, the Irish presidency, the Commission and Japan, among others.
The minister will reaffirm his steadfast commitment to the security and stabilization of the region which includes both Liberia and Sierra Leone as well as Côte d’Ivoire.
(...)
Q - The minister didn’t attend the conference on Iraq’s reconstruction in Madrid but he’s going to the one on Liberia. Does Liberia take priority over Iraq?
Let’s not confuse or equate things. There were problems with schedules in the case of the Madrid conference.
What I wanted to emphasize is the importance we give in general to Africa and to the regional approach to settling conflicts. That’s part of the priorities of French policy; only a collective and regional approach can be effective.
(...)
Q - This week a list of names of 266 individuals from 52 countries was published. The list includes several French people. Some things still have to be checked. The Iraqi transitional government has announced the start of an inquiry. Switzerland is considering starting an inquiry into any of its nationals who may been given barrels of oil. I think that France has several names, including political figures. Is the French government also prepared to open an inquiry and obviously check the accuracy of this information?
I have nothing more to say on this than what you were told by the spokesperson Wednesday. I will reread what was said: “France strictly implemented the UN sanctions all along and saw to it that French companies complied with them. In that period, our trade with Iraq conformed strictly to resolution 996, known as the oil-for-food resolution, then oil–for-humanitarian goods. The activities reported in the press are of a private nature and must be appreciated in light of the juridical framework decided on by the United Nations which I have just mentioned.”
France is pleased that the Somali parties have signed an agreement in Nairobi (Kenya) which marks a breakthrough in the peace process in Somalia.
The agreement, which deals with the charter which will govern the transition period, specifically the modalities for naming deputies, should lead to the election soon of new Somali institutions (president, government).
France pays tribute to the mediation by IGAD, the subregional organization in the Horn of Africa, to its current president, President Yoweri Museveni and the Kenyan authorities (President Kibaki, Minister Musyoka), who personally invested time and effort in this matter. These efforts confirm the irreplaceable role of African mediation in the search for solutions to the problems in Africa.
WEST BANK/INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
Q - About the International Court of Justice examination of the legality of the security wall in the West Bank. Some countries, including France, were due to hand in their arguments on this question today. I’d like to know whether France has submitted its argument or not and if so?
Yes, France sent its contribution on the separation barrier to the International Court of Justice today, like other countries so far as I know. As you will remember, in December, the UN General Assembly voted for a resolution asking the Court for an opinion on the legal consequences of the construction of the barrier. So France is responding to this request and handed in its report today./.
Embassy of France, February 2, 2004
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