Statements made by the Ministry of Foreign and European Spokesperson (Paris, April 3, 2009)

Middle East
Sudan
EU / US summit
Iran
Guantanamo

Middle East

Q - Could you tell us about the meeting between Ms. Yade and Mr. Khashan, the Palestinian Authority’s justice minister? What is it about, and why is he being received by a minister who usually deals with human rights?

Let me remind you that Rama Yade is minister of state responsible for foreign affairs and human rights, and not just human rights. As a result, she quite frequently has meetings that are not limited to human rights issues.

In addition, I imagine and believe that Mr. Khashan would like to discuss the situation of the Palestinian people, including the events in Gaza a few weeks ago.

I think the human rights situation and, more generally, the political situation and the process of the inter-Palestinian political dialogue will be discussed.

Q - Will they also raise the issue of the 10,000 Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel, most of whom haven’t seen a judge or attorney for a very long time, and some of whom have been held for more than 30 years?

That’s probably one of the subjects that will be raised. For now, we have no details on what Mr. Khashan wants to discuss during the meeting.

Q - For several months now, Mr. Khashan has been working on a project that is important to him: the opening of an international inquiry by the International Criminal Court on what he believes to be war crimes committed by the Israeli army during the last war in Gaza. Does France support the idea of an international inquiry on what happened in Gaza?

The Palestinian authorities issued a statement acknowledging the competence of the ICC, on which the latter will rule.

We’ve already said that we favor an international inquiry, as long as it’s impartial and encompasses all human rights violations or crimes. Our position hasn’t changed.

You are aware of the fact that Judge Richard Goldstone was appointed to head the fact-finding mission established at the behest of the Human Rights Council.

Sudan

Yesterday, the Sudanese authorities announced a timetable for elections under the North-South comprehensive peace agreement. France and the international community as a whole consider the implementation of this agreement to be crucial for peace and stability in all of eastern and central Africa.

Sudan’s democratic transformation is at the core of the agreement signed in January 2005. It is important for the deadlines of that agreement to be met.

All of Sudan’s political forces, with the support of the UN mission in Sudan, must now work to create the conditions for a free, transparent and pluralistic election throughout the country.

Many challenges remain to be overcome, notably with respect to the conduct of the pre-election process, and the country’s peace and security plan, particularly in Darfur.

EU / US summit

Q - Concerning the EU/US summit that will be attended by the President of the Republic and Bernard Kouchner, do we know who in Prague will be receiving the participants, given the problems of the Czech government, which stepped down, and given that we don’t know if it can continue as such if a new government is appointed?

The summit is being organized by the Czech EU presidency. It is up to it to say how it will organize that event and whom it will receive and under what conditions. It isn’t up to us.

Q - What about the agenda of the EU/US summit?

Three topics will be examined: the economic and financial crisis, notably the implementation of the decisions taken at the G20 summit; the major global challenges, notably energy security and climate change; and the regional crises, particularly the Middle East and the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

These three priority issues will not necessarily preclude the discussion of other topics.

Iran

Q - Will Iran be discussed at the EU/US summit? What are the prospects for that issue?

I’m not sure if this specific point will be on the agenda. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that Iran could be one of the major regional topics under discussion. France’s position is clear and falls within the E3+3 framework. We are asking Iran to respect Security Council and IAEA resolutions, to answer the IAEA’s questions, and to engage in a relationship of cooperation and transparency with the IAEA. We’ve also said we favored a direct dialogue between the U.S. and Iran, just as there’s a direct relationship between France and Iran.

Let me remind you that contrary to what one often reads in the press, the meeting on Afghanistan in The Hague was attended by Iran’s deputy foreign minister, but that wasn’t the first time there was high-level representation at talks on Afghanistan. Indeed, Mr. Mottaki, the Iranian foreign minister, attended the international conference we hosted on Afghanistan in Paris on June 12.

Q - In August 2006, Iran broke off talks with Europe on the nuclear issue. The Iranians say that the negotiations at that time pertained to three topics: nuclear fuel, economic aid, and a political and security dialogue in the region. The Iranians are saying that the negotiated text wasn’t the same as the one presented for signature. They signaled, for example, that they had negotiated a nuclear potential of 30,000 kW and that this figure was changed without their agreement in the final text. That and other changes allegedly led them to leave the negotiating table. Can you say what specifically the Iranians are being offered to motivate them to stop their nuclear program?

We are continuing to offer the Iranian leaders a package of ambitious proposals that includes the elements you’ve just mentioned. I imagine it wasn’t the number of kilowatt-hours that led the Iranian authorities to break off such important negotiations. That’s not what was at stake. Iran was asked in several reports by the director-general of the IAEA to comply with its international obligations. Let me remind you that the E3+3 offer is public and we still don’t understand why it isn’t possible to move forward on this subject as this offer seems positive for all parties.

Guantanamo

Q - France is planning on taking in two former Guantanamo detainees. Was this decision taken following talks with the Algerian authorities?

Let me remind you that we strongly supported the closing of Guantanamo and we therefore warmly welcomed President Obama’s decision to close that detention center. In that context, after studying each file on a case-by-case basis, after assessing the security and legal implications and holding European discussions that led to a Washington visit by the vice president of the Commission, Jacques Barrot, and the representative of the acting EU Presidency, we will study the files of applicants. Bernard Kouchner noted a few weeks ago that we support this principle, provided it be in the context I just mentioned: a European discussion, even if it is then up to each member state to make a decision; a case-by-case study; a legal and police assessment; a request by applicants who consider themselves to be in danger should they be returned to their country of origin; and, if possible, some kind of tie (linguistic or otherwise) with the host country.

We do not want to establish quotas, but we think it would be helpful for the U.S. to do its part in welcoming those persons who are worried by the idea of returning to their country of origin./.