The Daily Press Briefing

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


Paris - December 16, 2015
In this issue:

◢  Public Performance Prize awarded to Laurent Fabius by “Acteurs publics” magazine (Paris - December 16, 2015)

◢  European Union – Opening by Harlem Désir of the Conference on Youth Employment in Europe (Paris - December 16, 2015)

◢  Ethiopia – Visit by Matthias Fekl (Addis Ababa - December 17, 2015)

◢  Colombia – Agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC on justice (Havana - December 15, 2015)

 
Public Performance Prize awarded to Laurent Fabius by “Acteurs publics” magazine (Paris - December 16, 2015)

Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, will this evening receive, at the National Assembly, the Public Performance Prize, awarded by “Acteurs publics” magazine.

This award notably recognizes the minister’s efforts to modernize the Quai d'Orsay through the “MAEDI 21” project launched during Ambassadors' Week, as well as his determination to place economic diplomacy and tourism at the heart of the ministry’s missions.

“Acteurs publics” magazine also wanted to honor, on this occasion, the commitment of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its network throughout the world to ensuring the success of the Paris Climate Conference.



European Union – Opening by Harlem Désir of the Conference on Youth Employment in Europe (Paris - December 16, 2015)

Harlem Désir, Minister of State for European Affairs, will today open at the Paris Labor Exchange (Bourse du Travail) the Conference on Youth Employment, the theme of which is “Can Europe help? Young people from Sarcelles and Bondy have their say.” This conference is being organized by “Confrontations Europe” and will allow young people from these two towns to present their ideas about training, employment and mobility in Europe.

Harlem Désir will reaffirm France’s priorities for young people in Europe: promoting youth mobility, bringing them closer to businesses, enhancing all skills and promoting promising sectors, such as the digital sector. He will notably underscore the importance of initiatives to which France has made a commitment, such as the “Youth Guarantee” scheme which could benefit 100,000 young people by 2017 and Erasmus +.

Harlem Désir will also present the three projects aimed at promoting European mobility, the responsibility for which has been entrusted to him by the prime minister, in conjunction with the ministers concerned: the European student card, Erasmus for apprentices and an enhanced European civic service, which will be tried out for the first time in 2016.



Ethiopia – Visit by Matthias Fekl (Addis Ababa - December 17, 2015)

Matthias Fekl, minister of state for foreign trade, the promotion of tourism, and French nationals abroad, will visit Addis Ababa on December 17.

Mr. Fekl will inaugurate the office of Business France in Addis and will co-chair the third French-Ethiopian business forum. He will be accompanied by a delegation of some 40 French businesses, particularly small and medium-size businesses, about 10 of which will take part in a specific program of individual meetings. He will also work on strengthening our economic partnership with Deputy Prime Minister Debretsion Gebremichael and transport minister Workneh Gebeyehu, to whom he will issue an invitation to come to France.

Mr. Fekl will meet with Addis Ababa Mayor Diriba Kuma and with the French community during a visit to the French-Ethiopian Lycée Guebre-Mariam



Colombia – Agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC on justice (Havana - December 15, 2015)

We welcome the agreement concluded in Havana on December 15 between the Colombian government and the FARC on justice.

This agreement, which supplements the provisions on victims already adopted on September 23, is a crucial step toward national reconciliation.

France actively supports the Colombian peace process and encourages the parties to swiftly conclude the final portion of the negotiations on an official, final end to the fighting.


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