Austria – Mr. Harlem Désir’s visit to Vienna (September 30, 2014)
Mali – Follow-up meeting to the Brussels Conference on the financing of development aid (Paris, September 30, 2014)
Economic diplomacy – Tourism/Mountain industry – Signing of a partnership agreement between the Japanese group, Kashiyama Industries, and the French company, Poma (Paris, September 30, 2014)
Central African Republic – Launch of the first development projects financed by the European trust fund “Bêkou” (September 29, 2014)
Cultural network – Death of archaeologist Roland Besenval (September 29, 2014)
Austria – Mr. Harlem Désir’s visit to Vienna (September 30, 2014)
Mr. Harlem Désir, Minister of State for European Affairs, will meet today in Vienna with Mr.
Sebastian Kurz, Austrian Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Désir and Mr. Kurz will discuss ways to boost investment in Europe in order to generate growth and employment. They will discuss the rapprochement of the Western Balkans with the EU, and the development of an EU strategy for the Alpine Region.
This meeting will also provide an opportunity to review the strengthening of our bilateral trade, key international issues and our cooperation in the field of climate disruption, especially in the run-up to the 2015 Paris Climate Conference.
Mali – Follow-up meeting to the Brussels Conference on the financing of development aid (Paris, September 30, 2014)
This morning, Ms. Annick Girardin, Minister of State for Development and Francophony, opened the fourth follow-up meeting to the “Together for a New Mali” conference alongside Malian Prime Minister Moussa Mara and Deputy Director General of the EU Directorate General of Development and Cooperation Marcus Cornaro.
The objective of this meeting is to take stock of the commitments made by the Malian authorities and their partners with respect to development aid. On this occasion, the Malian government will present the measures that it is implementing with respect to good governance, employment, professional training and improving the business climate.
The exchanges will also provide an opportunity to discuss the need for national reconciliation, notably within the framework of the negotiations currently being conducted with the support of Algeria.
Economic diplomacy – Tourism/Mountain industry – Signing of a partnership agreement between the Japanese group, Kashiyama Industries, and the French company, Poma (Paris, September 30, 2014)
Two global players in the mountain industry, the French company, Poma, and the Japanese group, Kashiyama Industries, will sign a partnership agreement at the Quai d’Orsay today.
The signing of this agreement at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development confirms the priority that Laurent Fabius attaches to developing our partnership with Japan, the largest Asian investor in France and France’s second largest economic partner in Asia. Mr. Laurent Fabius will visit Japan from October 4 to 5. This visit will notably provide an opportunity to strengthen political dialogue and economic cooperation, as well as our cultural exchanges.
The partnership between Poma and Kashiyama Industries in the mountain sector is especially promising since Japan represents the world’s second largest market.
Central African Republic – Launch of the first development projects financed by the European trust fund “Bêkou” (September 29, 2014)
Following its official launch on July 15, the EU multi-donor trust fund, “Bêkou,” (which means “hope” in Sango) set up by the EU Commission, France, Germany and the Netherlands, held its first Board meeting on September 29.
This €64 million fund has already made it possible to launch three initial projects which should directly benefit the populations, under transparent conditions: the first relates to the rebuilding of health services; the second aims to rehabilitate public infrastructure in Bangui using local labor; the third, in support of women, aims to help them strengthen their economic and social positions as well as their role in the process of dialogue and reconciliation.
This fund, which is the first instrument of its kind to be launched within the European framework, is open to all contributors, particularly EU member states. It will notably allow actors not actually present in the Central African Republic to contribute to resolving the crisis in this country.
Cultural network – Death of archaeologist Roland Besenval (September 29, 2014)
We were extremely saddened to learn of the death in Tajikistan on September 29 of archaeologist Roland Besenval, Research Director at the National Scientific Research Center.
Mr. Besenval was working on the archaeological site of Sarzam within the framework of the “Sea, desert, environment,” program focusing on environmental dynamics and human occupation in Central Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. Between 1997 and 2005 he brought his extensive knowledge and recognized expertise to the Consultative Committee for Overseas Archaeological Research, of which he was a member. He was well known for his work in Pakistan and in Oman. He was also the head of the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan.
Roland Besenval exemplified French archaeology’s tradition of excellence and commitment. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and pay tribute to him. His death will leave a huge void in the world of research in France and abroad.