Composition of the French government (June 19, 2007)
PRIME MINISTER
M. François Fillon
MINISTERS
M. Jean-Louis Borloo
Ministre d’Etat, Minister for Ecology and
Sustainable Planning and Development
Mme Michèle Alliot-Marie
Minister of the Interior, Overseas France and
Local Authorities
M. Bernard Kouchner
Minister of Foreign and European
Affairs
Mme Christine Lagarde
Minister for the Economy,
Finance and Employment
M. Brice Hortefeux
Minister of Immigration, Integration,
National Identity and Co-Development
Mme Rachida Dati
Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice
M. Michel Barnier
Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries
M. Xavier Bertrand
Minister for Labor, Labor Relations and
Solidarity
M. Xavier Darcos
Minister for National Education
Mme Valérie Pécresse
Minister for Higher Education and Research
M. Hervé Morin
Minister of Defense
Mme Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin
Minister for Health, Youth and Sport
Mme Christine Boutin
Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs
Mme Christine Albanel
Minister for Culture and Communication
M. Eric Woerth
Minister for the Budget, Public Accounts and
the Civil Service
MINISTERS OF STATE
M. Roger Karoutchi
Minister of State, attached to the Prime Minister,
Responsible for Relations with Parliament
M. Jean-Pierre Jouyet
Minister of State, attached to the Minister of
Foreign and European Affairs, responsible for
European Affairs
M. Laurent Wauquiez
Minister of State attached to the Prime Minister,
Government Spokesman
M. Eric Besson
Minister of State, attached to the Prime Minister,
responsible for Forward Planning and Assessment
of Public Policies
Mme Valérie Létard
Minister of State, attached to the Minister for
Labour, Labour Relations and Solidarity
M. Dominique Bussereau
Minister of State, attached to the Ministre d'Etat,
Minister for Ecology and Sustainable Planning
and Development, responsible for Transport
Mme Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet
Minister of State, attached to the Ministre d’Etat,
Minister for Ecology and Sustainable Planning
and Development, responsible for Ecology
M. Christian Estrosi
Minister of State, attached to the Minister of the
Interior, Overseas France and Local Authorities,
responsible for Overseas France
M. André Santini
Minister of State, attached to the Minister for the
Budget, Public Accounts and the Civil Service,
responsible for the Civil Service
M. Jean-Marie Bocquel
Minister of State, attached to the Minister of
Foreign and European Affairs, responsible for
Cooperation and Francophony
M. Hervé Novelli
Minister of State, attached to the Minister for
the Economy, Finance and Employment,
responsible for Businesses and Foreign Trade
Mme Fadela Amara
Minister of State, attached to the Minister
for Housing and Urban Affairs, responsible for
Urban Affairs
M. Alain Marleix
Minister of State, attached to the Minister of
Defense, responsible for Veterans
Mme Rama Yade
Minister of State, attached to the Minister of
Foreign and European Affairs, responsible for
Foreign Affairs and Human Rights
M. Luc Chatel
Minister of State, attached to Minister for
the Economy, Finance and Employment,
responsible for Consumer Affairs and Tourism
HIGH COMMISSIONER
M. Martin Hirsch
High Commissioner for Active Solidarity against
Poverty
M. Bernard Laporte
MINISTER OF STATE AS FROM END OF OCTOBER 2007,
AFTER THE RUGBY WORLD CUP
Minister of State, attached to the Minister for Health
Youth and Sport, responsible for Youth and Sport
World Refugee Day
Communiqué issued by the Ministry of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Co-Development (Paris, June 20, 2007)
On World Refugee Day, M. Brice Hortefeux, Minister of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Co-Development, reiterates that France intends remaining true to the tradition of taking in asylum seekers and refugees, a tradition which reflects both a moral requirement and legal imperative.
In 2006, France was the European Union country which granted refugee status to the highest number of applicants, 7,354, i.e. nearly a third of the total number of applications granted in the European Union.
France welcomes the high quality of the relations she maintains with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees of which a representative sits as an assessor in every section of the Refugees Appeals Board.
The Minister for Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Co-Development has drawn attention to these figures and his commitment to the protection of refugees in his meetings over the past few weeks with the relevant organizations (Forum Réfugiés, France Terre d'Asile, Amnesty International and Coordination française pour le droit d'asile)./.
Darfur/Press briefing given by Foreign Ministry spokesperson (June 22, 2007)
France is hosting on June 25 a ministerial meeting of the enlarged contact group on Darfur in order to increase international mobilization around the efforts of the African Union, European Union and the UN in Darfur and the region.
President Nicholas Sarkozy will receive the heads of delegation for a meeting at 11:00 a.m. at the Elysée Palace.
The proceedings will begin afterwards at 12 noon at the International Conference Center on the Avenue Kléber, with Foreign and European Affairs Minister Bernard Kouchner presiding. They will conclude with a press conference at about 5:00 p.m.
In the context of commitments made by Sudan and the neighboring countries, encouraging perspectives have emerged. So the meeting comes at a turning point: it is important to implement what has been agreed and to speed up the timetable because Darfur and also eastern Chad and the north-eastern part of the Central African Republic are facing an urgent situation.
Participants will examine the re-start of the political process, the humanitarian and security situation in Darfur, reconstruction and development of areas affected by the crisis, and its repercussions on the region.
Q: Can you tell us who is attending the meeting and whether the African Union will be represented?
At this stage--and keep in mind that things may still change--the US, the Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Germany as the EU president, Italy, Sweden, Demark and Portugal will be represented by their foreign ministers. Lord Triesman, Under Secretary of State for Africa, will represent the United Kingdom, and the deputy foreign ministers of China, Russia and Japan will be there. Egypt will be represented by a deputy minister, Belgium by the minister for development cooperation, and Spain through the foreign secretary.
For the European Union, in addition to Mr. Steinmeier in his capacity as president, Javier Solana, the High Representative for the CFSP, Commissioner Louis Michel who handles development, and Mr. Brylle who is the EU special envoy for Darfur will be there. The UN delegation will be led by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. It will include Mr. Guéhenno, Margareta Wahlstrom, Messrs Eliasson and Guterres, and a representative from UNDP.
The secretary-general of the Arab League will be attending as will the director-general of the OIC, the president of the African Development Bank and the World Bank vice president for Africa.
With regard to the African Union, we’re continuing our contacts. Our Africa section director was in Addis Ababa yesterday where he had talks with African Union Peace and Security Commissioner Djinnit. We’ve been in very close contact with the African Union prior to the meeting and will be afterwards so as to give the African Union the results of the enlarged contact group.
It is up to the African Union to decide if it wishes to be there Monday or not. According to the latest information, the African Union will abide by the line it has followed so far. It has never taken part in meetings of the contact group. (…)
Q: We see Sudan isn’t invited. Will there be a Sudanese delegation on the sidelines of the meeting of organizations present in Darfur?
Let me remind you what it is about. There’s an existing contact group. In the past neither Sudan nor the rebel movements were included in this group. It is a contact group for the international community as there’ve been group on other questions, Kosovo for example. In addition there’s an existing political process, under the auspices of the UN representative and the AU representative to encourage dialogue between the Sudanese authorities and rebel movements. From the beginning it was clear in our mind that neither the Sudanese authorities nor the rebel movements would be invited to the meeting in Paris. This does not mean that we’ve not had contacts with the Sudanese authorities. The minister himself went to Khartoum to talk about the meeting with President Bachir, and also with his Sudanese counterpart. We will of course keep the Sudanese informed of the results of the Paris meeting.
Q: Why is the meeting not being sponsored by the UN?
The UN Secretary-general will be there. I don’t see that we can do better.
Q: But a lot of countries aren’t represented?
We are part of the original contact group. We’ve enlarged it to a number of countries that were interested in the Paris meeting. We enlarged it to China, whose presence is very important. We also enlarged it to countries like Egypt. And this is being done in very close liaison with the African Union and the UN since Mr. Ki-moon himself will be there.
Q: Might the fact that Sudan has accepted the hybrid force have an effect or influence on the objective of the meeting?
I believe that it has a very positive effect on the objective of the meeting because, as I said, we are at a turning point. Sudan’s acceptance of the hybrid force and the modalities for deploying the force is rather an important element, and we wish to strengthen this positive aspect, to consolidate the acceptance by the Sudanese by also showing that the international community is ready to help in the deployment of the force, which is obviously very important.
Q: The Americans are a bit skeptical. Are you skeptical too ?
I can’t speak for the Americans but they’re attending—Ms Rice will be there. We also feel that they are convinced of the usefulness of this exercise, and the usefulness of having the international community, including countries like China, Russia and others, mobilizing and showing that it is present and ready to help in the deployment of the hybrid force. I don’t think there is any reservation on the American side.
Q: And what is France’s position?
We’re saying that it is a very important stage. Quite simply, it now has to be consolidated, and there needs to be movement on the practical work so that the force can be deployed according to a fairly early timetable, and that’s what has to be worked on now.
Q: What are the countries that might supply troops?
It’s one of the points that will have to be looked at by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations ( DPKO). If I’ve understood correctly, the agreement stipulates that there will be a predominance of African troops. That means that the DPKO will turn first to African countries. If they’re not able to provide the contingents then at that point, it will be possible to have other contributors. That holds goods with respect to troops, but one shouldn’t forget that there will also be UN financial, technical and logistic support, which is at least as important as the troops who will be on the ground.
Q: Is it possible that China might participate as well?
I recently saw a statement by the special Chinese envoy for Darfur saying that China was ready to contribute. I believe that China has already sent nearly 300 engineers there—it’s very good news.
Q: When you mentioned the purpose of the meeting, you said we were at a turning point, that we had to strengthen, consolidate and eventually establish a plan for deployment—isn’t that more the role of the African Union and UN….?
No. We’re not in any way being a substitute for the current process. There is a joint process between the UN and African Union which is under way with regard to the hybrid force and the political process since they have established a roadmap. This is entirely positive, and we’re not being a substitute for any party. It’s just that we thought it was useful to speed things up in the contact group, be a sort of catalyst, as is happening on other issues. In Kosovo there’s a contact group, and it doesn’t mean that the UN has relinquished the issue. (…)
Q: How can you be sure the meeting will be effective when the country concerned is excluded?
No one is excluded. They may not be invited as such but, as I’ve said, we’ve discussed it a lot with Sudan, and will continue to do so after the meeting. With Chad and the Central African Republic, it’s quite obvious also. As you know, we are continuing to work with the Chadians at this time on the proposal that may be made on June 25 for the deployment of a force in eastern Chad. We are working very closely with these countries. There is no concern from that point of view.
Q: Now that Sudan has accepted the principle of the hybrid force, are the sanctions being maintained?
We consider at this time that the priority is more the deployment of the hybrid force and implementing what has just been decided. With regard to sanctions one shouldn’t forget that there are already sanctions there-- resolution 1581. Should they be tightened? Proposals have been made at the UN and are on the table, but for us, the priority at this point is really to re-launch, to speed up what has been decided. And as there’s been an agreement in principle on the hybrid force and an agreement in principle of the development of the political process, we feel we should capitalize on this.
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