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Russia/Rwanda/Iran
Interview given by M. Bernard Kouchner, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, to "Europe 1" (excerpts) Paris, October 2, 2007
(...) RUSSIA Q. – (...) Vladimir Putin reportedly intends to become prime minister when he's completed his second and final mandate as President. Is your friend Condi Rice worried about the concentration of powers in the Kremlin? And are you worried? (...) There are no opposition forces in Russia.
THE MINISTER – I know, regrettably there aren't enough of them. I went to Moscow just a few days ago; I visited Anna Politkovskaya's family and her newspaper's editorial office. I was very moved. The sea change is obvious for those who knew Moscow a while ago. There has been a huge effort, a brutal transformation of society. But the opposition forces aren't, I believe, taken sufficiently seriously, everybody recognizes this and they have a lot of difficulties. RWANDA Q. – Another, yet another delicate subject: Rwanda. Rwanda is causing a real headache, a problem combining diplomacy, war crimes, blood and injustice. Why do you want to reconcile Rwanda and France? What's the purpose?
(...) THE MINISTER – (…) I wanted to put an end to the misunderstandings between the two countries. Let me remind you that the people in power in Kigali are the survivors of the horror and genocide. We were over there, I was over there, the genocide was committed before our eyes, televised and no one intervened, except France. I believe there were errors of policy, of political analysis, I've always said that. I've never said, and will never say, that there was any involvement of the French armed forces in any murder whatsoever. I've never said that and I was there, so I know what I'm talking about. (...) Q. – Will you keep your promise soon to go to Kigali?
THE MINISTER – When the time is right, when it will serve some purpose. (…) IRAN Q. – Nicolas Sarkozy has said there is a solution between surrender and war. Are you one of those who, like Madeleine Albright, Scowcroft and Hubert Védrine, are advocating a comprehensive, direct and unconditional dialogue between the United States and Iran?
THE MINISTER – Yes. But I believe we Europeans should start doing something. We're working on sanctions, on France's initiative, who isn't aligning herself with the United States, contrary to what a number of people carried away by their political fervour are saying. It's because France appealed to them that the Six – China, Russia, the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France – have stayed united. Q. – So what can be done?
THE MINISTER – The dialogue must continue, which I keep on and on saying. In the meantime, the Europeans are working on sanctions, in order to be taken seriously. Is it the right solution? It's part of the solution. Will it be necessary to go further, one day, as those you mentioned say? That's possible.(...)./. Embassy of France in the United States - October 3, 2007
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