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Foreign Policy
Interview given by Philippe Douste-Blazy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to "Europe 1" and "TV 5"’s Le grand rendez-vous programme (excerpts)
Paris, October 5, 2005
(…) EU/RESEARCH/ECONOMIC EUROPE Q. – As regards the European Union, you have proposed what you call a vanguard, a “house within a house” as others have called it. Isn’t a two- or many-speed Europe dangerous?
THE MINISTER – I know that’s always being said. The need today is to see what’s happening in the world. There’s something new in the world today. There are regions, continent-sized countries like India, Brazil, China. Q. – You mean emerging powers?
THE MINISTER – Emerging powers, but ones of such a size – here, too, this wasn’t said with respect to Turkey, but we also have clearly to understand that the European Union needs to be a certain size. (…) These countries are coming up extraordinarily fast. In the wake of this, we need to know what we’ll have left. We’ve got to think about it. We can’t go on manufacturing cars if we can clearly see that in a nearby country they’re manufacturing cheaper, equally high-performance cars. So we have to react. Let me take one example: nano- and biotechnology. The United States of America has decided to invest $100 billion a year in nano- and biotechnology. The Indians, Chinese, are also investing considerable sums of money in these two twenty-first century sectors. In the European Union, with 25 members, soon to be 27 – more soon, we don’t know – we haven’t taken on board even the idea of having a common research policy. I tell you that if we don’t do this, it won’t be textiles we’ll no longer have, it’ll be the added value, what we get for example with the Airbus A380. Q. – And when you talk to the Europeans about this, do they agree?
THE MINISTER – We now need to have very concrete enhanced cooperation projects. I’m even going to tell you that I believe we have to react to this institutional breakdown. Q. – And we don’t need the famous Constitution to do that?
THE MINISTER – We need to react to Europe’s institutional breakdown by having more “economic Europe”. Look, a number of countries are carrying out tax reforms today, France, Germany too. I’d like there tomorrow to be an economic government, with countries sharing the same views on the economic, budgetary and tax fronts. Q. – And with 25 members that isn’t possible?
THE MINISTER – I don’t see how, with 25 members, we’ll be able to wave a magic wand and do this sort of thing. (…) COTE D’IVOIRE Q. – (…) We know today that the elections scheduled in Côte d’Ivoire for 30 October won’t be taking place. Do you think civil war is inevitable?
THE MINISTER – We need to move fast and take this matter very seriously. The crisis threatening to cut Côte d’Ivoire in two is very deep. The international community, France of course, ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations are trying to resolve the crisis in complementary ways. And today we see that Mr Mbeki’s mediation has had success in a lot of things and particularly in getting Alassano Ouattara back into the election scenario, and this is fundamental. Q. – But M. Gbagbo doesn’t want any of this. He doesn’t want all the people coming from Burkina Faso who could become Ivorian and perhaps vote against him.
THE MINISTER – I’d like to answer you and him at the same time. It seems to me that, presenting a united front, the African Union, ECOWAS and also the United Nations and especially the Security Council, must explain that all the Ivorian parties have to make two commitments. Firstly, transparent elections with international observers and, secondly, disarmament of all militias. If this isn’t done, then the United Nations Security Council must deal with the matter. Q. – 4,200 French soldiers are in Côte d’Ivoire at the moment. Are they there indefinitely?
THE MINISTER – No, but it’s also necessary for these elections to take place as soon as possible. We need, at the latest early next year, transparent elections enabling the return of democracy in Cote d’Ivoire. Q. – Do you believe this?
THE MINISTER – Yes, I do. Q. – With M. Gbagbo?
THE MINISTER – We’re staying within the framework of the United Nations Security Council, that’s after all safer. Q. – What can the Security Council do, reprisals, powers of persuasion, vis-à-vis M. Gbagbo?
THE MINISTER – I’ve just come back from New York, where I spent ten days at the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 60th session. France believes in multilateralism. France doesn’t believe that one country can decide for the others. I believe in the United Nations, so I believe in the Security Council. The Security Council has already proved its value. When there are sanctions, that always raises a lot of questions. GAZA Q. – Serious things are happening in Gaza at the moment. I’ve just been told that Palestinian police officers are clashing fairly brutally with Hamas terrorist militia. Does that mean we need to support Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority in its determination to bring order to Gaza before the elections?
THE MINISTER – Despite the elections in the Palestinian Territories, despite the elections looming in Israel, I met an Israeli prime minister and a president of the Palestinian Authority – Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas – who have confidence in each other. This is historic, we’ve been waiting so long for it. The only solution – now that Ariel Sharon has, and everyone has congratulated, paid tribute to him, taken a very concrete step, the withdrawal from Gaza, evacuation of the settlers, 8,500 settlers – is now to go further, to respect the Roadmap; and France is asking for the Roadmap to be respected, security must be ensured in Gaza. Q. – So you are encouraging Mahmoud Abbas in what he’s doing to help get the resumption of the discussions with Ariel Sharon?
THE MINISTER – I salute his courage and his determination. We are behind him. The European Union must do its utmost to make the Palestinian police a professional force, so that it can disarm terrorist movements like Hamas. INGRID BETANCOURT Q. – A word on Ingrid Bétancourt. We’ve learned that France had sent emissaries to negotiate with the FARC [Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia], which has greatly displeased the Colombian authorities. Who are these emissaries? Where are they today, are they still in Colombia?
THE MINISTER – Ingrid Bétancourt’s fate is a daily concern for me and the whole Quai d’Orsay. I’ve read what the Colombian authorities have written. I’ve noted it. In this type of hostage affair, the only solution, and recent events have proved it, is discretion. Q. – Is she still alive?
THE MINISTER – I think so. To get her back as fast as possible, let’s keep quiet in order to avoid tensions. (…)./.
Embassy of France in the United States - October 10, 2005
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