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Eastern Europe
Interview given by Jacques Chirac, President of the Republic, to the Itar-Tass News agency and Russia's "First Channel"
Paris, May 4, 2005
V-DAY ANNIVERSARY Q. Thank you for this opportunity to meet you before you arrive in Moscow for the 60th anniversary of V-Day. What does this Moscow visit mean to you? What are your feelings before coming to our capital?
THE PRESIDENT Firstly, a feeling of joy: joy at seeing Moscow once again, which is a city I love for many reasons, joy at meeting President Putin once more, we often see each other. Also joy at taking part in an important event commemorating the decisive role played by the Russian people in a tragic period, i.e. the commemoration of the European peoples' liberation from the Nazi yoke. In fact the liberation we celebrated during the Allied Landings was possible only because of the prior extraordinary mobilization and admirable courage of the Russian people and soldiers, starting with Stalingrad. NORMANDIE-NIEMEN SQUADRON/NAZISM Q. What's the image of the Russian soldier in France, given that he contributed the most in this victory? And how does France maintain this community, this brotherhood of arms symbolized by the Normandie-Niemen squadron?
THE PRESIDENT Firstly, the Russian soldier has shown, historically in general, and specifically at the time of these tragic events, the most extraordinary courage, selflessness and discipline, which deserve to be at the heart of the commemoration. He took the most violent of blows, resisted and allowed history to move on and the Western and Russian allies to triumph. So we owe much to the Russian soldier. There is no doubting his very favourable image in French minds, which you're right to evoke by talking about the Normandie-Niemen squadron, in which French and Russian airmen exceptionally courageously and effectively fought Nazism together. I always feel deeply moved when I come to Moscow and pay my respects at the Normandie-Niemen squadron's commemorative plaque recalling the sacrifice of Russian and French soldiers. (...) GENERAL DE GAULLE/RUSSIA Q. How did General de Gaulle see Russia?
THE PRESIDENT Going beyond his famous expression "Europe from the Atlantic to the Urals", he expressed his strong conviction that Europe and Russia were two entities, historically deeply united, which had to move forward in the future hand in hand. RUSSIA/FRANCE Q. (...) What can our two countries do for the continent and the whole world?
THE PRESIDENT First of all, like all the world's great nations, Russia has gone through some difficult periods. She has resolutely and courageously set in train a complete modernization of her political, economic and social life, and this modernization must be encouraged and pursued. It's an integral part of the necessary solidarity between the world's great nations. From this point of view, I think Russia's action has been totally positive. RUSSIA/EU This requires special links between the Russian entity and the European Union. It's in this spirit that I personally greatly valued and participated in drawing up an EU-Russia policy, whose broad outlines we defined in 2003 at the time of the St Petersburg celebrations. This policy specified the four "spaces"Ή in which the European Union and Russia have to deploy their solidarity and their unity. I'm pleased that the forthcoming summit between Russia and the European Union in a few days' time will, I hope, allow us definitively to finalize this mutually-supportive policy with its four "spaces". I believe it's in the fundamental interest of world balance, and also of balance in our region, for the European Union and Russia, two major entities, two essential elements in tomorrow's multipolar world to be able to move forward confidently and calmly. PRESIDENT CHIRAC/PRESIDENT PUTIN Q. Observers talk of personal contacts, very good contacts with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. How would you describe your dialogue with the Russian President?
THE PRESIDENT An extremely trusting one, which has gradually become a friendship. At the start, one of high regard and trust and gradually it has become a friendship. Our dialogue is extremely easy. The Russian President is a man who knows what he wants and says it clearly. He doesn't hide his feelings. I'm a bit similar in character and so our dialogue is very easy. That doesn't mean we always agree on everything, but that generally speaking we always reach agreement. TERRORISM Q. We began our discussion by talking about the Franco-Russian brotherhood [of arms], the battle against fascism. But today France and Russia have a common enemy: international terrorism. What can our countries do to fight this international scourge?
THE PRESIDENT First of all, nothing can justify terrorism, i.e. violence, killing can never, ever be justified by any cause. All causes can be defended, but not by terrorism, by violence. So we must join together to fight not only terrorism when it occurs, particularly through mutual support, intelligence and action, but also its causes which are often of a social or political nature, to do with conflicts. Consequently, we also have to fight the root causes which encourage or allow terrorism to develop. PARIS BOOK FAIR/RUSSIA Q. Not long ago, Russia was the guest of honour at the Paris Book Fair. It was a great event. How important are literature and our cultural relations in social sciences, art? I know this is a matter of deep personal importance for you.
THE PRESIDENT As you know, intellectual, cultural relations, solidarity between Russia and France go back a very long way. (...) You mentioned the presence of great Russian intellectuals and writers at the Paris Book Fair, which President Putin had wished to associate himself with since I was having a meeting with him at the time at the Elysιe and was able to invite the major representatives of Russian thinking who had been the guests of honour at the Book Fair. President Putin and I spent an hour or two talking to these great contemporary Russian intellectuals. And we noted that the artistic and literary outputs of Russia and of Europe and France really did have something in common, each, of course, expressed, with its individual talent, own genius (...). In other words what we experienced in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries wasn't a chance occurrence. It didn't happen because of some favourable circumstances, it was something which genuinely reflected a cultural and human reality, and I'm delighted about it. Q. In fact, at the Book Fair there was mention of the fact that you had translated Pushkin's novel Eugene Oneguin. (...) Have you still got this translation?
THE PRESIDENT Of course I've kept it. (...) I had, between the ages of 15 and 20, a teacher who, for years, refused to speak a word of French to me, although he spoke it fluently, so at the time I got a good knowledge of Russian and above all access to Russian literature, particularly to Pushkin whom I especially liked. I did indeed, aged 20, do a translation of the novel "Eugene Oneguin". Regrettably, since then I haven't used my Russian and it's greatly suffered. Q. Yes, but you nevertheless made a historic contribution to our cultural relations.
60TH ANNIVERSARY/END OF WORLD WAR II/EU/RUSSIA For your forthcoming visit, for the 60th anniversary of the end of the war, what would you like to say to the war veterans and to young people in France. THE PRESIDENT To the war veterans I'd like to express my gratitude and respect. (...) To young people, I'd like to say: "Have confidence". Aside from the daily problems I'm well aware of and which exist in Russia as in Europe, we are destined to confront tomorrow's world hand in hand. (...) This is why I pin great hopes on the relationship between the European Union and Russia, a relationship already given special recognition, not just by French and German leaders, but also by European leaders in general, and by President Putin. (...)./. Ή Four "common spaces" defined at St Petersburg [an economic "space", a common "space" of freedom, security and justice, a "space" of cooperation in the field of external security and a "space" of research and education including cultural aspects].
Embassy of France in the United States - May 9, 2005
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