Daily Press Briefing
Statements made by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson
(excerpts)
(Paris, February 22, 2006)
[Please note that only the original French text issued by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be considered official.]
UNITED STATES/FRANCE
The French and American governments signed an exchange of letters on Tuesday, February 21, supplementing the Washington agreement on compensation for the spoliation of bank-related assets during World War II.
The exchange of letters, signed after negotiation with the banks, provides additional compensation for victims of spoliations. The French and American governments have established supplementary compensation for victims still alive.
The Washington agreement was concluded January 18, 2001 in order to reach a comprehensive and definitive solution to all the actions brought against banks and financial institutions that were active in France during World War II. The agreement established compensation mechanisms. In five years all the commitments were kept.
The French and American delegations, at their meeting yesterday, expressed satisfaction at the full completion of the agreement signed five years ago, which has benefited nearly 11,000 individuals.
France condemns in the strongest possible terms the attack this morning in Iraq on the mausoleum of the imams in the city of Samara.
All actions which sow hate and violence between communities and target places of worship in particular must stop.
France calls on all Iraqis to rally to define together the future of their country and to establish institutions which guarantee all the components of Iraqi society their place.
Q - Ex-president Jean Bertrand Aristide has said that he expects to return to Haiti "as soon as possible,” taking advantage of the election of René Préval, whom he’s close to. Does France, which brought about his departure in 2004 with the US and Canada, think that his return would endanger the national reconciliation it is urging? What do you plan on doing about it?
Former president Aristide’s eventual return to Haiti is a matter for the Haitian authorities. At a time when the country is entering into a new phase, the international community must remain attentive to preserving political stability.
Q - The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, announced that Teheran will provide financial aid to the Palestinian government led by the radical Hamas movement. European aid could thus be replaced eventually by aid from Iran. Do you have any comment?
I’ve no particular comment about Mr. Larijani’s remarks.
As you know, the question of European aid to the Palestinian Authority will be addressed on Monday, February 27, at the next meeting of the general affairs/external relations council in Brussels. As Mr. Solana said, reflecting the conclusions of the January 30 council, the European Union is continuing aid to the Palestinian authority pending the formation of a new government./.
Embassy of France, February 22, 2006