Today's Date:

IRAQ/KUWAIT/DISAPPEARED PERSONS/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL

THE MINISTER – (...) On the question of Iraq, a new chapter is opening for the whole region as well as for the Gulf States in particular, with the prospect of a restoration of trust between that country and all the States surrounding it. The issue is stability, a matter of concern to us all. Kuwait suffered greatly from the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, and in talking to the Kuwaiti authorities I have stressed the importance we attach to the definitive settlement of the painful questions inherited from the invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and 1991, and particularly the question of disappeared persons.

Kuwait has a very important role to play today vis-à-vis Iraq's reintegration into her regional environment. She is one of Iraq's immediate neighbours. Moreover, this year she chairs the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf. This is why the dialogue between Kuwait and France is particularly important, and the views of our Kuwaiti friends on the question of Iraq are also of great value to us.

IRAQ/UN/GENERAL ELECTION

The political process began in Iraq with UNSCR 1511 and the agreement of 15 November. We hope that the stages leading to full restoration of Iraqi sovereignty on 30 June can be clearly identified over the next few months, and we welcome the meeting to be held on 19 January under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General with the representatives of the coalition as well as the representatives of the Iraqi Interim Governing Council.

The United Nations, of course, has an important role to play and we have advocated sending a representative, a special envoy of the Secretary-General to Iraq. This will be a very important role, a fortiori following the restoration of Iraqi sovereignty, in establishing and developing this political process which will lead to a general election at the end of 2005.

MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

In our talks, we stressed the need to encourage a resumption of the peace process. We cannot leave the process deadlocked without incurring the risk of a new upsurge in terrorism and violence. That is why France is calling for new initiatives, and we want concerted action with our European partners, of course in collaboration with our American friends and all the representatives of the Quartet, to ensure that initiatives are taken to kick-start the process again. We think that enlarging the monitoring committee, convening an international conference, and even the deployment of forces on the ground, can help create conditions in which fresh progress is possible.

TERRORISM

We obviously discussed the important question of terrorism. No State can ignore this important question. Every effort must of course be made to avoid any conflating of Islam and terrorism. And I want here to commend the willingness, the determination I encountered in everyone I spoke to, to carry out effective policies designed to cut off the funding of terrorism, policies backed by security measures. Under Kuwait's chairmanship, the Gulf Cooperation Council is preparing a regional charter on the fight against terrorism.

KUWAIT/FRANCE

Our bilateral relations are excellent, as you know, and we wish to intensify our cooperation. In the field of defence, some new joint military exercises will take place in February. This will confirm France's commitment to Kuwait's security. In the economic field, we have many projects taking shape in the energy sector, with the announcement of Kuwait's willingness to open her upstream oil [to foreign investors]. This offers new prospects for the involvement of French companies alongside their Kuwaiti partners. I welcome this and want here to thank the Kuwaiti authorities. I welcome the settlement of the Campenon Bernard dispute. This will lend a very positive impetus to our trade. And in the cultural field, I shall just mention the recent conclusion of an agreement for the broadcasting of Radio France Internationale, Radio Monte-Carlo Moyen-Orient, which is another step forward.

IRAQI DEBT/FRANCE

THE MINISTER – (...) I'm not altogether sure about the figures you mention, which seem to me notably higher than the reality. We have had occasion several times in recent weeks to discuss the debt Iraq has vis-à-vis France, as indeed vis-à-vis many other countries, in particular with a representative of the Iraqi Governing Council. It so happens that France chairs the Paris Club. We have flagged our concern to ensure that this debt issue is addressed as soon as possible and in the most open spirit possible. We are keen to see a solution found in the next few months of 2004. (...)

NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION/IRAN/LIBYA

THE MINISTER – As concerns (...) the negotiations which have started with a view to moving forward on non-proliferation, you are aware that we took the initiative with our German and British partners to back Iran's efforts in this direction. The Iranians have been called upon to confirm their commitments with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Then Libya, following the dialogue and negotiations started by the British and the Americans, did the same by undertaking some very firm commitments vis-à-vis the international community. We naturally consider this to be the right move, the peaceful approach, the approach through dialogue which must prevail when we are dealing with such a difficult issue as non-proliferation. We hope the negotiations initiated by the six countries involved in Beijing's dialogue with North Korea can be brought to a successful conclusion. These non-proliferation issues are essential for the stability of the international order, and we think every effort must be made to address them by means of dialogue, in the peaceful framework laid down by the international community. These questions of security are essential, and for this reason France wants to ponder, over the next few months in the run-up to the restoration of Iraqi sovereignty, what the new security architecture for the entire region might be, for the whole of the Gulf for example; this is why we have proposed the idea of an international conference which could also try to move forward on these vitally important issues. (...)./.