Daily Press Briefing
Statements made by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson
(excerpts)
(Paris, March 6, 2006)
[Please note that only the original French text issued by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be considered official.]
LIBERIA/FRANCE
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, will make an official visit to France from March 7 to 10, 2006. She accepted the invitation addressed to her by President Chirac at the summit of African heads of state and France in Bamako last December.
The president will have a meeting with her. Ms Johnson-Sirleaf will also have talks with Senate Speaker Christian Poncelet and National Assembly Speaker Jean-Louis Debré.
Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy will give a dinner in her honor on March 8. That same day, in the context of International Women’s Day, the president of Liberia will attend a conference/debate on “Women and Development” organized by Brigitte Girardin, Minister Delegate for Cooperation, Development and Francophony, as well as events at UNESCO marking the occasion.
During her stay she will also have an opportunity to meet with the business community at a luncheon hosted by Medef International. Lastly, Ms Johnson-Sirleaf will hold a press conference at the Foreign Press Center on March 9 at 3:30 p.m.
In welcoming the new president of the Republic of Liberia, France wishes to show its support for the completion of the democratic transition which has enabled that country to put behind it 14 years of civil war, and to demonstrate its wish to aid in Liberia’s reconstruction, in particular through close bilateral cooperation. May I remind you that Brigitte Girardin, Minister Delegate for Cooperation, Development and Francophony, represented France at the inauguration of Ms Johnson-Sirleaf, the first women to be elected to this office in Africa, in Monrovia on January 16.
As we said on Saturday, the French authorities decided, in close consultation with the family, to bring back to France the remains of Michel Seurat, who was kidnapped in Beirut on May 22, 1985 and died while held captive. The repatriation will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, March 7. An official ceremony will be held in Lebanon when the remains leave for France on a government aircraft.
Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin will be present when the aircraft arrives at Orly in the late afternoon along with Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy
The French authorities share the emotion of Michel Seurat’s family and friends at a time when the return of our compatriot’s remains rekindles the memory of his long captivity and tragic end. They offer their thanks and appreciation to the Lebanese authorities for the cooperation they have provided so that Michel Seurat’s remains could be returned to France.
(…)
Q - Apparently Areva is about to sign a contract with Libya. Do you have any details?
I refer you to the statements by an Areva company spokesman who denied the report.
Q - Are France--not Areva--and Libya negotiating some sort of agreement, some declaration or protocol in the nuclear sector?
As we said on May 31, 2005, in view of Libya’s strategic decision to give up WMDs and its concrete actions in application of that decision--dismantling proliferating installations, signing the IAEA additional protocol and close cooperation with the agency— the French authorities decided, following a presidential visit to Libya in fall 2004, to respond favorably to Libya’s request, in full compliance with the respective international commitments of the parties.
Discussions were started on this basis and are still going on.
Q - Would uranium enrichment solely for research purposes be a compromise that France and the EU3 would be ready to accept in the Iranian issue?
The resolution adopted by the IAEA board on February 4, 2006 “deems it necessary for Iran to re-establish full and sustained suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, to be verified by the Agency.”
Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said after the meeting with Mr. Larijani in Vienna on Friday, March 3, in the EU3 format, that in order to rebuild confidence it is necessary to return to complete suspension of uranium-enrichment related activities, including research and development.
Q - A judicial investigation into the former spokesman at the Quai d’Orsay, Hervé Ladsous, has been opened in Paris, against the advice of the prosecutor’s office, for possible pressure on the judicial authorities in the inquiry into Judge Borrel’s death in Djibouti in 1995. What’s your reaction?
We have taken note of a report that a judicial inquiry is to begin shortly.
As this is a judicial matter, you’ll understand that I have no comment./.
Embassy of France, March 6, 2006