The Daily Press Briefing

Statements made by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and International Development
Spokesperson


Paris - June 4, 2015
In this issue:

◢  Climate - Decentralized cooperation – Laurent Fabius’s participation in MEDCOP21 (Marseille, June 5, 2015)

◢  Spain - Speech by Harlem Désir at the French-Spanish Business Forum (Paris, June 4, 2015)

◢  European Council - Parliamentary Assembly - Harlem Désir’s participation in the conference on the implementation of the right to free elections (Paris, June 4, 2015)

◢  Francophonie - New technologies - Annick Girardin’s participation in the meeting of Francophone education ministers on the development of a French-language digital space (Paris, June 5)

◢  Ghana - Accident at an Accra service station (June 3)

 
Climate - Decentralized cooperation – Laurent Fabius’s participation in MEDCOP21 (Marseille, June 5, 2015)

Laurent Fabius, COP21 President, will travel to Marseille tomorrow to participate in the MEDCOP21 meeting. This event, which will be held under the high patronage of President Hollande and hosted by the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regional Council, will bring together local representatives and stakeholders from both sides of the Mediterranean. The debates will provide an opportunity to highlight the contribution of local authorities, businesses and associations to the fight against climate disruption. The participants will work on developing a “positive Mediterranean agenda” and will make concrete proposals in this area. On this occasion, Laurent Fabius will speak on board “PlanetSolar,” a solar-powered boat which is travelling around the world to promote renewable energy, in the presence of several elected officials from the southern Mediterranean shore.



Spain - Speech by Harlem Désir at the French-Spanish Business Forum (Paris, June 4, 2015)

Harlem Désir, Minister of State for European Affairs, will deliver a speech today at the closing session of the French-Spanish Business Forum chaired by the King of Spain as part of his state visit to France. Spain is one of France’s leading trade partners. Mr. Désir will highlight the strength of our trade relations as well as the opportunities for growth and employment in the areas of bilateral trade and investment. This forum, which is being hosted by the Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior and Business France, will bring together high-level economic decision makers. It will be attended by José Manuel Garcia Margallo, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Jaime Garcia Legaz, Secretary of State for Trade.



European Council - Parliamentary Assembly - Harlem Désir’s participation in the conference on the implementation of the right to free elections (Paris, June 4, 2015)

Harlem Désir, Minister of State for European Affairs, this morning opened the conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe devoted to the “implementation of the right to free elections: the challenge of applying election legislation and ensuring compliance with Council of Europe standards.” This conference, which is being hosted in Paris on the initiative of the French parliamentary delegation, will bring together representatives of the Council of Europe, European institutions, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well election commissions and parliamentary committees and NGOs from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Two weeks after the Riga summit, Mr. Désir reaffirmed France’s support for the reforms under way in the 6 Eastern Partnership countries to strengthen the rule of law, the adoption of democratic norms and respect for individual freedoms.



Francophonie - New technologies - Annick Girardin’s participation in the meeting of Francophone education ministers on the development of a French-language digital space (Paris, June 5)

Tomorrow, Annick Girardin, Minister of State for Development and Francophonie, will attend the first meeting of Francophone education ministers on the development of a French digital space. This meeting will examine the status of digital resources available to French-language universities, discuss the needs and role of universities, and consider ways to better pool existing resources. The ministers will adopt a joint declaration announcing measures for that purpose. Some 40 delegations and 33 Francophone higher education ministers – including Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the minister of education, higher learning and research – will take part in the discussions. These will be held at the conference center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development and will be attended by representatives of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie.



Ghana - Accident at an Accra service station (June 3)

We were deeply saddened to learn of today’s tragic accident at a service station in Accra, which left several dozen people dead. France offers its condolences to the families of the victims. It assures the Ghanaian people and authorities of its solidarity at this difficult time.


France in the
United States
Embassy of France in Washington, D.C.
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