Statements made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson (Paris, June 5, 2014)

 

Meeting between Mr. Laurent Fabius and his British counterpart, Mr. William Hague (Paris, June 5, 2014)
Speech by Mr. Laurent Fabius at the Global Summit of Women (Paris, June 5 to 7, 2014)
Foreign investment: France reclaims its position in the top 10 most attractive countries (June 5, 2014) – Statement issued by Ms. Fleur Pellerin 
Libya – Murder of an ICRC delegate (June 4, 2014)
Israel/ Palestine – Settlement activity
World Environment Day (June 5, 2014)
World Anti-Counterfeiting Day (July 5, 2014)

Meeting between Mr. Laurent Fabius and his British counterpart, Mr. William Hague (Paris, June 5, 2014)

Mr. Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, will today meet with his British counterpart, Mr. William Hague. Mr. Hague is in France on the occasion of the 5th state visit by Queen Elizabeth II to our country, reflecting the deep and very close historic ties between France and the United Kingdom.

The two ministers will notably examine the consequences of the European elections. They will also discuss key international issues, notably the situation in Syria, Ukraine and Africa. Lastly, Mr. Fabius and Mr. Hague will discuss the fight against climate change and preparations for the 2015 Paris Climate Conference.


Speech by Mr. Laurent Fabius at the Global Summit of Women (Paris, June 5 to 7, 2014)

Mr. Laurent Fabius will today participate in the Global Summit of Women. His speech at the first round table entitled “Doing business with France” will underscore the government’s commitment to women’s entrepreneurship and leadership, which are a priority of our action in France and a goal of our diplomacy.

The Global Summit of Women will take place from June 5 to 7 in France. It is being organized by the NGO, GlobeWomen. Every year it brings together almost 1,000 business women, women in senior civil service positions and female political leaders from more than 70 countries.

France’s decision to host the 24th edition of this event reflects our commitment to public action aimed at promoting gender diversity and equality in France and abroad.


Foreign investment: France reclaims its position in the top 10 most attractive countries (June 5, 2014) – Statement issued by Ms. Fleur Pellerin 

Fleur Pellerin welcomes the fact that France has reclaimed its position among the most attractive countries for foreign investment according to the AT Kearney Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index.

According to the authors of the index, “France reclaims its position in the top 10 this year, while the country has embarked on an ambitious but politically fraught effort to increase its competitiveness, particularly by making public spending more efficient, the healthcare system more cost-conscious, and administrative processes simpler.”

Fleur Pellerin stated: “Two consecutive years of moving up the foreign investment confidence index in order to reclaim its position among the top countries reflects the renewed foreign investor confidence in the economic reforms initiated by the government.”

She added: “France, its strengths, its talents score highly in global competition every day. This ranking again shows that we don’t need to be ashamed of our performance. Let’s take a proactive approach and develop a winning mindset. That’s how we will return to sustained growth.”


Libya – Murder of an ICRC delegate (June 4, 2014)

France condemns the murder of an ICRC delegate in Libya. It extends its condolences to his family and friends.

Full light must be shed on this horrific act and those responsible must be identified and brought to justice.

France reaffirms its attachment to the work of humanitarian actors and to their protection in all circumstances.


Israel/ Palestine – Settlement activity

France condemns the Israeli authorities’ decision to issue calls for tender for the construction of almost 1,500 homes in the Israeli settlements of East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Indeed, it reaffirms that settlement activity is illegal under international law and constitutes an obstacle to a just peace based on the two-state solution.

While every effort must be made to ensure the resumption of the negotiations with a view to finding a definitive solution to the conflict, it urges all parties to avoid any gesture likely to undermine this goal.


World Environment Day (June 5, 2014)

On the occasion of World Environment Day, France reaffirms its commitment to protecting the planet.

In particular, France is engaged in preparations for the 2015 Paris Climate Conference – an historic opportunity to reach an ambitious universal agreement on combating climate change.

France is playing a leading role in international cooperation on biodiversity, marine environments, water, resource management and desertification. It welcomes the United Nations Environment Assembly taking place in Nairobi on June 23-27, which represents a key step toward strengthening international governance in this area.

France is actively participating in international negotiations on Sustainable Development Goals, which will mark a fundamental shift toward establishing a more sustainable development model.


World Anti-Counterfeiting Day (July 5, 2014)

On the occasion of World Anti-Counterfeiting Day, France reiterates its commitment to the fight against this type of trafficking.

Counterfeiting represents a threat to the health and safety of our citizens when it affects medications or industrial parts. It is also a threat to jobs and competitiveness when it competes with or tarnishes the image of French companies.

With illegal revenues of $250 billion each year, the traffic in counterfeit goods represents the second-largest criminal market, just behind drug trafficking. For criminal organizations, it represents a major source of revenue and a means of money-laundering.

To combat this phenomenon on the global level, France, along with its partners, is implementing the EU Customs Action Plan to fight counterfeiting and supports the efforts of international organizations – notably the UN, Interpol and Europol – to fight this scourge.