Daily Press Briefing
Statements made by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson
(excerpts)
(Paris, July 10, 2006)
[Please note that only the original French text issued by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be considered official.]
IRAQ
France is deeply concerned at the further deterioration of the situation in Iraq and is particularly worried at the new outbreak of attacks, abductions and acts of sectarian violence which are adding to the number of civilian victims daily.
Iraq has now acquired permanent institutions. We support the efforts begun by the new government to meet the challenges of building the rule of law, restoring security and fighting corruption.
France renews its appeals for calm and restraint. It encourages all Iraqis to mobilize to uphold the values of tolerance and national reconciliation, and thereby guarantee the unity, integrity and independence of their country.
Q - Do you have any reaction to the meeting of Iraq’s neighbors in Teheran this week? What role can the neighbors play in promoting national reconciliation Iraq?
Other meetings of this sort have already been held. We are in favor of everything that can facilitate dialogue between Iraq and its neighbors. It’s in that same spirit that we support the Arab League’s initiatives towards national reconciliation.
Since the end of 2003 France has provided 120 million euros in aid (bilateral aid and through the European Union) to Darfur.
The aim is to provide humanitarian aid and support to AMIS, the African Union force deployed in Darfur. We’ve just made the decision to release a further two million euros in food aid and two million euros in support to AMIS.
The UN Security Council, which is presided by France this month, is working right now on a new resolution concerning Darfur. It is based on the African Union decision, taken at its recent summit in Banjul, to handover to a UN peacekeeping operation.
French troops in Chad provided support for the transport of humanitarian aid in 2004 as the UN agencies and NGOs had yet to deploy their aid mechanisms to Sudanese refugees in Chad. France is particularly attentive to the situation prevailing in the refugee camps in Chad and would be prepared to assist with security in these camps as part of a collective action.
The sixth meeting of the UN secretary-general’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation is meeting in Paris July 10 and 11, 2006. The meeting will be chaired by Uschi Eid, former German development minister.
The Board, composed of 19 members, was founded in 2004 under Kofi Annan’s impetus. France is represented by Michel Camdessus, President Chirac’s personal representative for NEPAD, and Gérard Payen, president of the International Committee of ASTEE (Scientific and Technical Association for Water and Environment).
The discussions will be given over primarily to Africa and the OECD. The chair and vice-chair of the African Ministers’ Council on Water, Maria Mutagamba and Jean-Bruno Itoua, respectively Ugandan and Congolese ministers for water, the president of the African Union and the commissioner for water, the president of the African Development Bank and the executive director of NEPAD will discuss the compendium of actions that the Advisory Board presented at the last World Water Forum.
Tuesday, July 11, will be reserved for a series of exchanges with teams from the OECD. The new secretary-general, Angel Gurria, also a member of the Board, announced that water, along with migration and health, would be the three top priority themes at the OECED.
France is actively participating in the establishment of tools for an international water policy. President Jacques Chirac announced support for establishing a world water observatory at the World Water Forum in Kyoto in 2003. Since then the French government has developed a draft observation mechanism for the 13th Committee on Sustainable Development, with which the Advisory Board is associated.
The French Ambassador to Algeria, Hubert Colin de Verdière, will preside at a ceremony today at the Blida cemetery at which the mortal remains of people buried in the community cemeteries of Chiffa (formerly La Chiffa), Ouled Yaich (former Dalmatie), Beni Merad (formerly Beni Méred) and Soumaa (formerly Souma) will be grouped together.
The ceremony will take place in the presence of the Wali of Blida, representatives of repatriates’ associations, and a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The regrouping at the Blida Cemetery, on which the Algerian administration and our consulate general in Algiers cooperated closely, is an important element in the implementation of the plan of action and cooperation regarding French civilian burial places in Algeria. The plan, announced by President Chirac during his state visit to Algeria in March 2003, is taking place as scheduled and covers not only the grouping of remains from other cemeteries, with the assistance of local authorities, but also major maintenance and restoration work in all regions of Algeria.
We were shocked to learn of the deaths today of 41 people in an air crash in the district of Multan, Pakistan. We offer our condolences to the victims’ families and assure the Pakistani authorities and people of all our sympathy.
Q - What’s your reaction to the presidential elections in Mexico? Do you recognize Mr. Calderon’s victory?
We’re relying on the procedures in effect in Mexico and waiting for their outcome with due respect for the law.
Q - Mr. Ahtisaari will present an assessment of the first stage in the discussions on the future status of Kosovo in the Security Council on July 13. Could you tell us about this meeting?
Mr. Ahtisaari will present, on his initiative, a report to the UN Security Council on July 13. The presentation of the report will be followed by a debate but is not due to lead to decisions.
The discussions will be continuing. France, like the other members of the Contact Group, hopes they result in a solution before the end of 2006.
Q - Is France in favor of an imposed solution for the future status of Kosovo at the end of the year in the event negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina fail?
As I’ve just said, we hope the discussions lead to a solution. So we’re not considering the hypothesis you just mentioned of an imposed solution./.
Embassy of France, July 10, 2006