Syria/Iran/Lebanon
Press briefing given by Foreign Ministry spokesperson – May 4, 2007
Q: What do you think of the meeting between the Syrian foreign minister and his American counterpart? They didn’t even discuss the situation in Lebanon. Is France going to be the only one ignoring Syria?
There was the conference at Sharm el-Sheikh, which isn’t over since it’s continuing today and at which we are represented.
On the sidelines of the conference, there were a number of contacts, including between Ms Rice and Mr. Mouallem. It’s a meeting between a Syrian official and an American official so the meeting is foremost a decision for the two countries concerned. I’ve no particular comment on it. According to an American source, the meeting was devoted primarily, if not exclusively, to the question of Iraq, which is the purpose of the conference at Sharm el-Sheikh. We took note of that.
As we’ve said repeatedly, we consider that Syria and Iran must and can make a useful contribution to the stabilization of Iraq as neighbors. That is why we took part in the meeting that was held in Baghdad. We’re taking part in the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting and we consider that with regard to the Iraq question, it may be quite useful having contacts with Syria and Iran.
(…)
Q: According to the Lebanese press this morning, France isn’t succeeding in imposing its draft for the tribunal in the Security Council.
One can read a lot of things in the Lebanese press. Nicolas Michel, the UN legal counsel, is back. He briefed the Security Council and presented the main findings of his mission. Now I believe that people are waiting for Ban Ki-moon to return—he’s still in the region and is due back in New York. At that point there’ll be an evaluation of the question.
What is important in our view is that we supported Mr. Michel’s mission which was aimed at trying to break the deadlock with regard to the tribunal. It was a good thing for Mr. Michel to be able to meet with all the parties concerned. We also noted that Mr. Michel told us on his return that all the parties he’d met had expressed their support in principle for the establishment of the tribunal. That’s a very important point.
We observe, and we’re not alone, because it was also what Mr. Michel noted, that the internal procedure for ratifying the agreement on the tribunal is blocked for the duration on the Lebanese side. Parliament hasn’t met, and so the procedure has not been able to follow its course. So we share Mr. Michel’s assessment that there exists serious doubt as to whether the Lebanese parliament will meet before the end of its ordinary session which is supposed to conclude at the end of May.
Given this situation, in accordance with the commitments made by the international community, we consider that the Security Council has to help Lebanon overcome the present stalemate. It is in this spirit that one has to see any eventual intervention by the Security Council. It would be to assist Lebanon, to assist the Lebanese authorities in overcoming the present impasse and give a little bit of a boost to get the tribunal into existence.
Q: France presented a text establishing the tribunal under chapter 7, and it was rejected by the others. Can you confirm this?
We’re not at that stage. At this point Mr. Michel has briefed countries on his mission. We’re waiting for the UN secretary-general to return, and on that basis we’ll see how the discussions in the Security Council go.
Q: You said that France was in favor of dialogue with Syria and Iran. What is the current level of diplomatic communications between Syria and France? Would France be in favor of a meeting on the sidelines of an international gathering as Ms Rice did?
The present state of our relations with Syria are known. There has been no recent ministerial contact. We have an embassy in Damascus which has all useful contacts with the Syrian authorities. For the rest we have to wait and see what political line is taken by the French authorities after the elections on Sunday on this question and on others. Everything I’m saying today is subject to the political directions of the new president and new government.
Q: Is the current government blocking contacts?
We adopted a line of conduct that you know about, which is not to have contact with Syria at ministerial level. So there’s been no recent ministerial contact with Syria. But we do have contacts through our embassy. There have also been parliamentary contacts, a recent visit by a senator. There was also a meeting organized in Damascus on the Mediterranean cultural workshop in which Regis Debray took part.
Q: There’ve been no contacts, not even unofficial, with the Syrian delegation?
At Sharm el-Sheikh, no, I don’t believe so. But there may have been contacts with officials between the French delegation and other delegations. I’ve not been informed of any specific contact with the Syrian delegation, but nothing precludes it.
Iraq
Press briefing given by Foreign Ministry spokesperson – May 4, 2007
Q: Do you have any comment on the results of the international conference at Sharm el-Sheikh? Are you satisfied?
We’re represented there and we’re waiting for the end of the meeting to make an evaluation. We consider this idea of an international compact for Iraq interesting. I’d also like to remind you that the minister was there for the start of the meeting in Abu Dhabi on the international compact, in September 2006. We believe the international community must support the efforts to find a solution to the crisis in Iraq. We consider that from there this point of view there is an interest in pursuing this path, and we support the launch of the compact.
Next, I don't wish to comment on the various contributions. The European Union has announced a contribution. I would remind you, and this is an important element, that France made a very substantial contribution in November 2004 in canceling 80% of Iraq’s debt to us. It was a very significant gesture since, let me remind you, France was Iraq’s third leading creditor in the Paris Club and the debt represented four billion euros i.e. nearly $5 billion. It was a very significant gesture France made at that time.
As you saw, one of the questions at Sharm el-Sheikh is whether other creditors might make the same gesture with respect to Iraq.
In addition we’ve also made an important contribution through the European programs. Since 2003 European programs for Iraq have represented 900 million euros, to which the French contribution can be estimated at 140 million. In addition we have, as we’ve said before, hosted quite a lot of Iraqis on internship programs in France. A total of 650 in 2005 and 2006.
Preliminary remarks made by M. Jacques Chirac, President of the Republic, during his meeting with Mrs Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany – Berlin, May 3, 2007
Madam Chancellor, chère Angela Merkel, I was very touched by your invitation. For my last official visit to be in Germany is very important and symbolic for me. I am happy to pay tribute to these young people, men and women, who belong to our Franco-German Brigade units and make the relationship between France and Germany such a strong one.
Thanks to Franco-German friendship, the union between Germany and France, peace has been entrenched and democracy strengthened in Europe. This is a considerable achievement. Today, young French people feel absolutely at home in Germany. They no longer even think about the past, and the same applies to young Germans vis-à-vis France.
An outstanding success! And we must take great care to keep consolidating it.
In actual fact, the Franco-German agreement is at the very basis of the European enterprise. It's necessary in order to build Europe. We have great ambition. We must reform our institutions to cope with the problems of our times, be they ecological, to do with energy or development – and particularly development in the poor countries –, economic development, of course, where Germany is giving us a magnificent example, or strengthening our European social model. And all this we'll do together, or it won't be done. I'd like to pay special tribute to today's German presidency which, under your authority, is taking Europe forward, movement we all appreciate and support.
This is why I'm so pleased to be here today at your invitation. I'd simply like to express to you, from the bottom of my heart, my sincere esteem, gratitude and affection./.
Situation in Darfur – Press briefing given by M. Philippe Douste-Blazy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the presentation of “Pèlerin” magazine’s petition (excerpts) – May 4, 2007
THE MINISTER – (…) At the end of March, the Sudanese authorities pledged to the UN that they would lift all the administrative restrictions on humanitarian workers. A sufficient level of security now needs to be restored to lift the restrictions on access to international aid. I had argued for this in my meeting with President Bashir when I went to Sudan a few weeks ago.
Secondly, at the political level, international efforts must focus on the necessity of a ceasefire observed by all the parties and the deployment of a robust international force
Admittedly, the situation is nothing like what it was in 2003-2004, but there is widespread violence as a result of the actions of isolated groups and militias, inter-tribal violence – often, moreover, between the Arab tribes themselves – and over a dozen aerial bombardments confirmed since the beginning of the year.
It’s more urgent than ever to deploy the long-awaited UN reinforcements. On this important matter, I should point out that the Sudanese authorities have just agreed to the dispatch of 3,000 Blue Helmets – as well as combat helicopters – who will reinforce the 7,000 African soldiers on the ground.
The reason the Sudanese government has ended its opposition to the arrival of Blue Helmets in Darfur is precisely because the international community has remained united and firm. I’d like here to salute the efforts of the former United Nations secretary-general, Kofi Annan, and also of the present secretary-general, Mr Ban Ki-moon. I’ll never forget the Addis Ababa meeting in November 2006 with Kofi Annan.
The same must be done to get the Sudanese authorities to give their definitive agreement as quickly as possible to a hybrid UN and African Union force. In this respect, the sanctions threat must remain credible in order to support the United Nations Secretary-General's demarches.
Finally, and above all, this is my main message to the "Le Pèlerin" editorial staff: no lasting peace can possibly be envisaged without a political settlement of the crisis which will have to deal with the roots of the conflict – the sharing of the power and the wealth, since this is what it's about.
As you know, a peace agreement was signed in Abuja, nearly a year ago, on 5 May 2006. It has remained pretty ineffective since only one rebel group signed it. So it's imperative to rally the non-signatory rebel groups round a political negotiating process with the Sudanese authorities, which I could call an "Abuja plus" agreement. It's with this in mind that the UN and African Union are currently conducting a joint mediation exercise, liaising closely with the facilitation efforts set in train by several States in the region – I'm thinking in particular of Eritrea – often with not insignificant results. We must get everyone to focus their efforts on this.
Last week in Tripoli, a very important meeting was held with all the partners working today on this crisis, which is by far the gravest and the one with the most far-reaching consequences of those striking the African continent. In conclusion, I'd like to say that with the United Nations, African Union and European Union in Tripoli were representatives of the five permanent members of the Security Council – France, the United States, United Kingdom, China and Russia – and of the regional States most actively involved: Libya, Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan and Chad.
The participants stressed this need to work jointly on getting a political agreement and establishing the UN/African Union hybrid force.
No solely military solution is possible or viable in the long term, in Sudan as elsewhere; such a solution would precisely be to the detriment of the Sudanese civilian population, whose security has to stay our priority.
ICC ARREST WARRANTS
Q: The Sudanese minister has just rejected the International Criminal Court's first arrest warrants. What's your reaction?
THE MINISTER – France wanted the United Nations Security Council resolution which is designed to bring before the International Criminal Court those responsible for the brutal violence in Darfur. Defending human rights everywhere in the world is one of France's missions, particularly today in places like Darfur which are hell. The United Nations Security Council passed this resolution unanimously. We must obviously go on doing the utmost to get the United Nations resolutions enforced everywhere in the world. (…)./.
|
