The minister of foreign affairs and international development is presiding jointly with his Jordanian counterpart over a conference tomorrow on the victims of ethnic and religious persecution in the Middle East. It will be opened by President Hollande.

This ministerial conference brings together some 60 delegations and representatives from the UN, the EU, and international organizations. Coming in the wake of the Security Council meeting of March 27, this meeting is designed to identify concrete measures to respond to every aspect of the situation of victims of ethnic and religious violence in the Middle East:

- Responding to the needs of populations in danger; preparing and facilitating the voluntary and sustainable return of displaced persons
- Promoting political solutions that respect human rights and preserve the cultural and religious diversity of the Middle East
- Ending the impunity of those who have committed crimes against local populations for reasons of ethnic affiliation or religious conviction, which may in some cases constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity.

As announced in New York, an action plan will be adopted at the end of this conference.

Development – Climate – Opening of the Convergences World Forum by Annick Girardin

Annick Girardin, Minister of State for Development and Francophony, opened the Convergences World Forum on September 7.

While a new generation of Sustainable Development Goals 2030 will be adopted this year in 2015, Annick Girardin will reaffirm the need to combine the fight against climate disruption and the fight against poverty. She will also participate in a panel on the challenges facing Africa in the 21st century during which she will talk about the role of innovation as a means of achieving economic growth that will not leave anyone by the wayside and will safeguard the continent’s future.

The Convergences World Forum is Europe’s leading platform for reflection aimed at building new convergences of views between public and private actors, researchers, representatives of NGOs and the media with the aim of promoting sustainable development and combating exclusion in the countries of the North and the South.

China – Economic diplomacy – Visit by Matthias Fekl (Beijing and Canton, September 7 to 10, 2015)

Matthias Fekl, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, the Promotion of Tourism and French Nationals Abroad, is visiting Beijing and Canton from September 7 to 10 to promote our country’s tourism as well as French expertise in the agricultural and agri-food sectors.

He is being accompanied by a delegation of businesses and representatives from the wine, beef and pork interprofessional organizations.

Mr. Fekl will work on developing our trade in this area with representatives from the Ministries of Trade and Agriculture in Beijing as well as with the local authorities in Guangdong Province. He will meet with Chinese investors in Beijing and Canton as well as with the French community.

Senegal/Burkina Faso – Disappearance of a medevac plane (Sept. 5)

We confirm the disappearance of a French citizen in the September 5th accident involving a medevac plane that was transporting her from Ouagadougou to Dakar. Six others are also missing, including the crew and members of SOS Médecins.

Staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development in Paris, Dakar, and Ouagadougou immediately contacted the family of our compatriot and local authorities.

Maritime searches are continuing in an effort to locate the aircraft and identify the causes of this accident.

Turkey – PKK terrorist attack (Sept. 6)

France condemns the terrorist attack on military vehicles in southeastern Turkey on September 6, which took the lives of numerous soldiers. The PKK claims credit for this attack.

We offer our condolences to the victims’ families and express our solidarity with the Turkish authorities.