Today's Date:

France/United States

THE MINISTER – On Iran, at last night's dinner, all the participants accepted the idea that Iran had absolutely not responded to the international community's different demands. Not only had Iran not responded, but what's more she had accelerated her programme.

This is why we think it essential for Iran to be faced with a choice. Either Iran is responsive, suspends all sensitive nuclear activity – as all the Permanent Members of the Security Council are proposing – in which case we have to propose positive incentives, including in the fields of civil nuclear energy, trade, technology and security. Or Iran closes her mind to every proposal, in which case deterrent measures will be applied.

THE MINISTER – We are expressing our views in relation to the IAEA reports. We're not commenting on any letter.

THE MINISTER – As regards the package of positive measures we could propose, if Iran saw reason, we would like to work in the field of civil nuclear energy, on a trade agreement and – why not? – on technological proposals.

As for the problems of security, we haven't looked into this with our partners. I think it essential to present a global proposal involving the European Union, Americans and Russians. This has to be studied in the next few days and next few weeks, but on one condition: a suspension of all sensitive nuclear activity.

As regards Lebanon and Syria, we're working on a resolution following up Mr Roed- Larsen's latest report. We salute the work of Mr Brammertz, we consider he has done a painstaking and very professional job and are encouraging him to continue. We salute the Lebanese national dialogue which is beginning to bear fruit. We are doing all we can to help Lebanon's government and prime minister.

THE MINISTER – I can't answer that question.

I shall conclude with the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Territories. I think it's extremely important for the European Union to play a political role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Palestinian people are in greater need of help than ever and I think it's absolutely necessary to be able to pay the Palestinian civil servants so that, on top of the economic and social difficulties, they don't also face chaos on the humanitarian and security fronts. This is why it seems essential to me to help the President of the Palestinian Authority and do our utmost so that in the future there can be two viable States living side by side in peace and security.

Finally, Hamas remains a terrorist movement on the European list of terrorist organizations. We all hope that Hamas can recognize the three principles laid down by the Quartet: renunciation of violence, recognition of the State of Israel and the Oslo Accords.

THE MINISTER – It's extremely important for us to say very clearly that we can no longer tolerate this humanitarian crisis in Darfur, which is becoming one of the world's greatest humanitarian crises.

This is why we support the idea of strengthening AMIS [African Mission in Sudan] and of a peacekeeping operation, which will be one of the largest in the world. We salute the signature of an agreement in Abuja. Above all, we salute the African Union's leadership without which it won't be possible to do anything in that part of the world. Finally, we support the idea that the Darfur crisis mustn't bring with it a destabilization of the region, especially of Chad, the Central African Republic and neighbouring countries./.