Situation of the Norman Atlantic ferry (Dec. 29)
Operations are still under way off the coast of Greece to evacuate passengers from the Norman Atlantic, amid high winds and rough seas. Greek, Italian and Albanian forces are all involved, as are commercial vessels in the area.
Our embassies in Rome, Athens and Tirana are in constant contact with the authorities who are coordinating the rescue. They are also mobilized to provide any necessary assistance to our nationals who are still on board. In Greece, welcome centers have been set up by our embassy in Corfu, Patras and Igoumenitsa. A team at the Consulate in Rome is also positioned at the port of Bari in Italy.
Disappearance of Air Asia flight QZ8501 (Dec. 29)
Search operations for the Air Asia plane continue off the coast of Borneo. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development Laurent Fabius spoke this morning with his Indonesian counterpart to express France’s solidarity in this tragedy and to offer French assistance in the investigation. A team of two investigators from the Bureau of Investigation and Analyses for Civil Aviation Security (BEA) is arriving today in Jakarta.