◢  Economic diplomacy ⁄ Tourism – Matthias Fekl’s visit to Guadeloupe (Pointe-à-Pitre - April 20, 2016)

Jean-Marc Ayrault, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, will preside over the annual ceremony to present diplomas to students of ENA’s Long International Course today at the Quai d’Orsay in the presence of Annick Girardin, Minister of the Civil Service. Kamel Ayadi, Tunisian Minister of Public Service, Governance and the Fight against Corruption, will attend the ceremony.

Twenty-four young public servants of twenty different nationalities attended the 16-month course as part of the “George Orwell” intake in order to improve their understanding of the functioning of the French government and in particular to deepen their knowledge of management techniques and European issues.

ENA has been helping to develop our international exchanges by offering programs to foreign civil servants since 1949.

Georgia – Exhibition of archives attended by President Giorgi Margvelashvili (April 20, 2016)

Harlem Désir, Minister of State for European Affairs, will receive Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili - who is conducting an official visit to France until April 23 -, today, at the Quai d’Orsay.

Harlem Désir will present to the president of Georgia a selection of archival documents from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development on official relations between France and the leaders of the first Georgian Republic, who were exiled to France following the occupation of Georgia in 1921 by the Red Army. This ceremony will be attended by some of their French descendants.

This event will provide an opportunity to celebrate France’s steadfast support throughout history for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.

Economic diplomacy ⁄ Tourism – Matthias Fekl’s visit to Guadeloupe (Pointe-à-Pitre - April 20, 2016)

Matthias Fekl, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, the Promotion of Tourism and French Nationals Abroad, will visit Point-à-Pitre today as part of a tour focusing on tourism and support for the international expansion of SMEs.

Following the first forum on the international expansion of SMEs which brought together more than 400 companies on March 11, 2015, Mr. Fekl conducted, in the same vein, a tour of SMEs in all regions of France; the tour is due to end in Guadeloupe where he will take part in the “Forum on International Expansion in Pointe-à-Pitre.”

He will take stock, together with tourism stakeholders in Guadeloupe, of the implementation of 27 measures aimed at the French overseas departments adopted by the Tourism Promotion Council on July 22, 2015.

During this visit, Mr. Fekl will visit the Caribbean Center for the Expression and Memory of the Slave Trade and Slavery, where he will reaffirm the government’s support for this essential memorial site.

CAR – Attack against MINUSCA (April 17, 2016)

France condemns the attack carried out in the town of Rafai which killed a Moroccan peacekeeper from the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) on April 17.

We extend our condolences to the victim’s family as well as to the Kingdom of Morocco.

France pays tribute to the commitment of troop-contributing countries, as well as to MINUSCA’s work. It reaffirms its full support for the efforts of the newly elected CAR authorities to ensure their country’s recovery.

CAR – European Military Training Mission in the Central African Republic (April 19, 2016)

France welcomes the decision taken on April 19 by the EU Council of Ministers to set up a new military training and advisory mission in the Central African Republic (EUTM RCA), as France had hoped it would.

Established at the request of Central African President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, this new mission will take over from the current European military advisory mission, EUMAM RCA, which played a positive role in fostering stability in the country. EUTM RCA will help restructure the Central African armed forces to better serve the people and democratic authorities of that country.

This decision reflects the EU’s determination to support the Central African authorities’ efforts to bring about their country’s recovery in every sphere.

Syria – Syrian air strikes in Idlib province

France is alarmed by the proliferation of ceasefire violations and attacks by the regime against civilians in Syria.

The regime’s bombardment of a market in the town of Maaret al-Numan on April 19, which killed some 40 civilians, illustrates yet again its dangerous recklessness and rejection of any political solution.

France emphasizes that this indiscriminate attack on civilians is a clear violation of international humanitarian law. It calls on the regime to end such attacks and to commit to a political transition in accordance with the Geneva communiqué and the timetable established by UN Security Council resolution 2254.

Chili – Death of former Chilean President Patricio Aylwin (April 19, 2016)

It was with deep sadness and regret that we learned of the death of former Chilean President Patricio Aylwin on April 19.

France pays tribute to the memory of this eminent transition figure. The first elected head of state after the end of the Pinochet regime, he played an essential role in restoring democracy and strove to rebuild Chile’s national unity, notably by establishing a truth and reconciliation commission that investigated the dictatorship’s crimes.

We offer our most sincere condolences to his family and to the Chilean people.

United Nations ⁄ Drugs – Special session of the UN General Assembly (April 19, 2016)

On April 19, the UN General Assembly adopted the final document of its special session on the world drug problem. This text encourages all member states to strengthen their cooperation in order to bring about a solution to the problem based on law enforcement, prevention, and treatment.

France was represented at this session by Patrick Kanner, minister of urban affairs, youth and sports. We applaud the international community’s ability to achieve a consensus on this important text.

On the sidelines of this special session, Mr. Kanner chaired the event organized by France, the UNODC, the WHO and Sweden to launch the “Listen First!” initiative, aimed at preventing drug use by young people.