Daily Press Briefing
Statements made by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson
(excerpts)
(Paris, March 29, 2006)
[Please note that only the original French text issued by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be considered official.]
FRANCE/LATVIA
In addition to the program for European Affairs Minister Delegate Catherine Colonna’s visit to Latvia which I gave you on Friday, I would like to add that the minister will sign the protocol for the cultural event, “Printemps français en Lettonie,” in Riga on March 30. After the festival that the Latvian authorities put on last winter in Paris and several French cities, we are pleased in turn to prepare in cooperation with them a “Printemps français” in Latvia which will take place a year from now, from March to June 2007.
Q - The Nigerian authorities this morning announced the arrest of former Liberian President Charles Taylor who disappeared yesterday. Does France support his direct extradition to Sierra Leone? Who should proceed with his transfer—Nigeria, Liberia the UN or another state?
France fully supports the fight against impunity and the judicial work by the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Charles Taylor, indicted by this special court, will have to answer for the crimes with which he is charged.
As for the precise modalities of his transfer, these are to be the object of discussions in the UN Security Council this very day./.
Embassy of France, March 29, 2006