Today's Date:

LEBANON/MIDDLE EAST/US POLICY

THE MINISTER – It's above all an aspiration of the people which, as in Ukraine, is bringing change. The Lebanese must be clearly convinced that this movement is theirs. It's important, here as elsewhere, that democracy isn't decreed, but comes from the peoples.

THE MINISTER – You can add – without either Brussels or Washington having imposed anything at all, they've only offered support – the tremendous proof of maturity and dignity given by the Palestinians in their presidential election...

US POLICY/PROMOTING DEMOCRACY/EUROPE/TRANSATLANTIC DIALOGUE

THE MINISTER – Are the Americans alone in promoting democracy and human rights? The Europeans would be wrong to forget that this battle for democracy is at the very origin of the European project. It goes back a long way. We Europeans are at the origin of the Declaration of Human Rights, and our rule of conduct has always been to respect the sovereignty of peoples. It's the very essence of the European project. The Europeans must promote their doctrine on democracy. We can subscribe to the principle that a more democratic world is the guarantee of a safer and more stable world. But Europeans have to add something: a safer, more democratic, freer world, will also have to be a fairer world. And by advancing these values the European Union has played a galvanizing role for its neighbours; and it's worked...

THE MINISTER – Going beyond Europe's borders, which one day will certainly have to be defined, we must neither turn a blind eye nor be arrogant. We are determined to advance the cause of democracy, but we want to do so through dialogue and listening to others. We have to take account of every local situation. Look at Ukraine, Lebanon, Togo: each situation requires a different approach, and everywhere, things are moving forward thanks to the peoples themselves, even if we help and encourage them.

THE MINISTER – You're asking me what I think today, what we French want to do, with the other Europeans, for the future. My answer: neither turn a blind eye nor be arrogant and take democracy forward. I have added the condition which, in our view, is necessary for the success of this battle for democracy and freedom: we must also attack the injustices, humiliations of the peoples. There won't be a great movement for democratic reforms in the Middle East without peace and development.

THE MINISTER – George Bush came to Europe immediately after his re-election. It's an important gesture. We're talking to each other more often and more normally. The meeting between the European Council and the American President has come to be seen as the natural framework for the transatlantic dialogue at its highest level. Without making things too formal, we should make such meetings more regular. Condoleezza Rice said, here in Paris: the United States needs a strong Europe. I added, somewhat mischievously: the Europeans too! The world is healthier when Europeans and Americans work together and no power, even the foremost one, can on its own meet the challenges in the world of democracy, poverty, and the battle against terrorism.

IRAN/EU/US

THE MINISTER – Its success is in everyone's interest, that of the Americans like the others. It must be given every chance of success. This includes obtaining the support of the United States, whom we've asked for support, essentially on two points: Iran's accession to the WTO – World Trade Organization – and cooperation in the civil aviation industry. I understand that in Washington the debate is continuing.

IRAN/RUSSIA/NUCLEAR FUEL

THE MINISTER – The contract provides for the return of the spent fuel to Russia from the Bushehr power station. So it is designed to prevent any hijacking for military purposes and allows the power station to be supplied with fuel with all the necessary guarantees. Let me add that the Russians have always clearly demonstrated their support for the European initiative.

THE MINISTER – Yes, because until recently, the Americans were voicing a lot of scepticism. It's one of the points on which President Bush's visit was very useful. The Americans are now thinking about how to help us. On our side, the three Europeans have to be very firm: we want to succeed, but if the Iranians were to go back on their commitment to suspend their enrichment processes, they can't be in any doubt as to our determination to draw all the necessary consequences, including referral of the matter to the United Nations Security Council. We aren't at that point.

MIDDLE EAST

THE MINISTER – There's clearly a new atmosphere between Israelis and Palestinians. We have to be clear-sighted, be wary of euphoria. There are, on both sides, people who don't want peace, and those who want it haven't got a lot of time. But, on both sides, there is a statesman with courage. Despite very strong opposition within his own party, Ariel Sharon wants to pull out of Gaza and a number of West Bank towns. Mahmoud Abbas is also displaying courage by reforming the Palestinian Authority, especially on the security front. One of the keys to peace is to support the Palestinian Authority in the pursuit of the reforms. This is the purpose of the meeting held – on Tuesday 1 March – in London, designed to allow the reactivation of the Roadmap. Going beyond London, it's essential to organize a new meeting with all the parties, in the second half of 2005, taking the form of an international conference. Peace in the Middle East is the number one priority in the transatlantic relationship and I was very happy to hear the United States President himself say this in Brussels.

IRAQ

THE MINISTER – We were active on UNSCR 1546 and constructive on Iraq's debt. We had meetings in Paris with 14 Iraqi political parties and have signalled our readiness to train, outside Iraqi territory, over 1,500 gendarmes and police officers, as well as 200 judges and detective police officers. As we saw clearly with Monday's terrorist attack in Hilla – in which 118 people died and 147 were injured – Iraq's tragedy hasn't ended. The 30 January election, which we sincerely wanted to be a success, was a first step. The new Iraqi authorities resulting from the elections must, despite the difficulties, complete the other stages, with their people's support, i.e. prepare a Constitution which maintains a fair place for all the communities and particularly the Sunnis, define a new territorial organization of the country while maintaining its unity, and establish a timetable for progressively and realistically giving the Iraqis back control of their destiny.

EU CONSTITUTION REFERENDUM

THE MINISTER – First of all I'd like to hail the all-party "yes" at Versailles as prefiguring the "yes" for the Constitution, i.e. a "yes" from men and women, on the Left, Right and Centre, who will vote on the question asked and not on any other. So for the referendum campaign we're going to talk about the Constitution. And we shall say why this Constitution is useful and even necessary in order to make this great enlarged European Union function efficiently so that it's something other than a simple free-trade area, thanks to an ambitious social policy. In foreign policy, we shall draw attention to the fact that the Constitution is at last providing the tools to allow Europe to be a player pulling its full weight in the world and not a simple spectator./.