Daily Press Briefing
Statements made by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson
(excerpts)
(Paris, November 29, 2006)
[Please note that only the original French text issued by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be considered official.]
FRANCE/INDIA
I have some additional information to yesterday’s announcement and want to give you the following details about Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy’s program for his visit to New Delhi.
Mr. Douste-Blazy will have a meeting with his counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee, on Thursday, November 30. They will discuss bilateral matters and then proceed to review the main international issues.
The minister will also meet Indian Health Minister Anbumanti Ramadoss on the sidelines of his visit to the Kalawati Saran hospital in New Delhi.
He will be received by Kapil Sibal, Minister for Science and Development Technologies, for a working dinner on Thursday, November 30.
(…)
The Myanmar authorities have asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to close its five field offices in Myanmar (Mandalay, Mawlamyine, Hpa-an, Taunggyi and Kyaing Tong). The ICRC is therefore no longer able to provide assistance and protection to civilians who are living in extremely difficult conditions, especially in the border areas. The authorities also announced that they would not permit the ICRC to resume visits to prisoners which were broken off in December 2005.
We regret this decision by the Myanmar authorities which constitutes a step back in terms of the protection of civilians and prisoners. We remain concerned about the serious humanitarian situation in Myanmar and ask the government to reverse its decision so that the ICRC can continue its work of providing assistance.
(…)
Q - The top man in Egyptian antiquities, Zahi Hawass, demanded “full transparency” from France on Wednesday in the inquiry into the sale of a lock of hair from Raises II, and said the matter “risked harming” relations with Egypt. Is the French archaeological relationship at risk? Have you received a written request from Mr. Hawass?
We are paying close attention to this matter, in liaison with the Egyptian authorities with whom we stand in complete solidarity, and with the National Museum of Natural History.
The museum has filed a complaint, and the matter is now in the hands of the central office in the fight against trafficking in cultural property. An inquiry was started immediately, and we’re waiting for its findings.
So far as I know, we’ve not had a written request from Mr. Hawass. We are of course maintaining close contact with the Egyptian authorities in this matter.
We are convinced that relations between France and Egypt in this area where we have had exemplary cooperation for two centuries, will not suffer from these machinations on which full light must be shed. (…)
Q - At the Riga summit today, NATO gave the green light to Serbia’s accession to the Partnership for Peace. How do you assess the political importance of this decision?
In inviting Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro to join the Partnership for Peace and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, NATO wanted to send them a positive signal and encourage the reforms being implemented by these countries.
The move does not reflect a weakening of our demands with regard to cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
A follow-up mechanism will be put in place which will make it possible to ensure the cooperation of Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina with the Tribunal in The Hague, with possible consequences for these countries’ participation in the Partnership for Peace./.
Embassy of France, November 29, 2006