Daily Press Briefing

Statements made by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson
(excerpts)

(Paris, September 14, 2006)

[Please note that only the original French text issued by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be considered official.]


FRANCE/PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

I will read the communiqué we issued last night:

“Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy will visit the Palestinian Territories on Thursday, September 14. He will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in order to discuss the prospects for the formation of a national unity government and continuation of the peace process.”

Q - Can you confirm that Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy is visiting the Palestinian Territories today and meeting with President Abbas? (…) Is a meeting scheduled with Palestinian Prime Minister Haniyeh or a Hamas representative?

I refer you to the communiqué we issued last night. The minister will have a meeting with President Abbas late afternoon. They will discuss the prospects for forming a national unity government and re-starting the peace process. We consider it essential to encourage the dynamic that has been established.

No meeting is scheduled with members of Hamas.

Q - (…) Is there any French initiative with regard to the formation of the Palestinian government?

It’s not for us to comment on the composition of the Palestinian government. But we welcome the prospect of a national unity government likely to re-start the peace process. We’ve demanded several times that the blockade of the Palestinian Territories be lifted. We would also like the growing humanitarian crisis in the Territories to be taken into account and to see concrete solutions.

(…)

HERITAGE DAYS 2006

As it has done for the past 23 years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will open its doors to the public on September 16 and 17 for the “Journées du Patrimoine.”

At the Quai d’Orsay the Foreign Ministry reception rooms will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday, September 16 and 17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The gardens and rooms of the Hôtel de Montesquiou, 20 rue Monsieur, will be open Saturday and Sunday, September 16 and 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The park of the Château de la Celle-Saint-Cloud, which is listed as one of the picturesque sites in Yvelines, will be open Saturday and Sunday, September 16 and 17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The château was bequeathed to Foreign Minister Robert Schuman by a Luxembourg industrialist, with stringent conditions regarding its use. During the two days tours of the estate will be given in the morning at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. and in the afternoon at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

In Nantes the diplomatic archives center will open its doors on Sunday, September 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guided tours of the building and demonstrations on document restoration will be available.

A number of French embassies abroad will also be open to the public on theses two days. I suggest you refer to our Internet site to check on times and conditions of access for the embassy concerned.

IRAN/NUCLEAR ISSUE

Q - Is Iran’s support for the nonaligned summit in Havana liable to exacerbate the international divisions on the nuclear question?

May I remind you that the UN Security Council stated its position in resolution 1696. The IAEA board of governors, which has 35 members and on which many nonaligned countries sit, has also stated its position on the Iranian nuclear issue through a resolution that was adopted virtually unanimously in February. This reflects the determination of the international community.

The current discussions are not directed against Iran. The six presented a very ambitious offer likely to leading to an agreement with the Iranians. We consider, as the president and minister have said repeatedly, that dialogue must be pursued, without a spirit of confrontation.

Q - Can you confirm that there’s a meeting in Paris today between a representative of Mr. Solana and a representative of Mr. Larijani? Also what was in the message Mr. Larijani forwarded to the French president Tuesday afternoon?

As announced in Brussels, the meeting between Mr. Solana and Mr. Larijani has been postponed.

With regard to the meeting between President Chirac and Hashemi Samareh, envoy of the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I refer you to the briefing given by the Elysée. The president reviewed regional questions with his interlocutor. He reaffirmed French support to Javier Solana on the nuclear issue. The president also requested the release of our compatriot, Stéphane Lherbier.

Q - What’s the status of the meeting today between the Iranians and Europeans on the nuclear issue? What’s the level of representation, the city, the country and the scope?

I refer you to Mr. Solana’s department.

(…)

AFGHANISTAN

Q - Has France been asked to provide NATO reinforcements in Afghanistan and would you update us on the French contribution, including the Special Forces?

France, within the context of ISAF, has commanded the region around Kabul since August 6 and reinforced its presence in this area (1,000 soldiers). To this figure you should add the French units patrolling the Arabian Sea.

We are also contributing to the training of the Afghan Army. Lastly, French Special Forces are taking part in Operation Enduring Freedom.

France has provided all it has been asked for in the context of ISAF and to my knowledge has not received a specific request from NATO.

TERRORISM

Q - About the international counter-terrorism unit that’s been set up in Paris. Could you give us the diplomatic background to this initiative and tell us when the decision was taken and at what level?

I refer you to the comments made by the head of UCLAT to which I’ve nothing to add.

Q - In light of recent French statements by officials and judges about elevated terrorist threat levels against France, do you intend to increase security measures here and at the borders?

The French authorities are fully mobilized to stop terrorism and maintain great vigilance in this regard.

As a result, the French authorities are maintaining unchanged the alert status in the face of the threat of terrorism (Plan Vigipirate, red level).

International cooperation in the face of terrorism is more necessary than ever.

The adoption of an international counter-terrorism strategy at the UN on September 8 is particularly pertinent in this context.

The French government is working to couple counter-terrorism policy with a policy to address the causes so as to prevent the radicalization of populations and the recruitment of new terrorists. The efforts being made by France to ease tensions in the Middle East go in that direction. Our current initiative to promote a dialogue of cultures between Europe and the Mediterranean and Gulf countries also serves that same purpose./.

Embassy of France, September 14, 2006