Statements made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development Spokesperson (Paris, March 12, 2015)

• Mozambique – Meeting between Mr. Laurent Fabius and his Mozambican counterpart (Paris, March 12, 2015)
• Japan – Visit by Mr. Laurent Fabius (March 13 to 15, 2015)
• Colombia – Peace process (March 11, 2015)
• Myanmar/ Burma – Brutal crackdown against a student protest (March 5, 2015)
 

Mozambique – Meeting between Mr. Laurent Fabius and his Mozambican counterpart (Paris, March 12, 2015)

Mr. Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, will today receive his Mozambican counterpart, Oldemiro Baloi.

The ministers will focus on preparations for the visit to France by new Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, as well as on ensuring the success of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference.

They will review the strengthening of our bilateral relations, notably in the economic and maritime cooperation fields. They will also discuss the ongoing investigation into the murder of our compatriot Gilles Cistac on March 3 in Maputo.

Lastly, Mr. Fabius and Mr. Baloi, whose country is a member of the African Union Peace and Security Council, will discuss key African regional issues.

Japan – Visit by Mr. Laurent Fabius (March 13 to 15, 2015)

Mr. Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, will visit Japan from March 13 to 15.

This very full visit will have four main components:

• participation in the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, which will take place in Sendai and is an important milestone in the run-up to the 2015 Paris Climate Conference. Ms. Annick Girardin, Minister of State for Development and Francophonie, who is also visiting Japan from March 12 to 16, will also participate in the conference.


• meetings with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida, which will provide an opportunity to discuss all aspects of our bilateral cooperation, notably on the economic and business front, as well as key international issues;


• the second session of the dialogue between the foreign affairs and defense ministers (“2+2 dialogue”), in which Mr. Laurent Fabius will participate together with Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian;


• a dinner with Japanese investors and a lunch with French and Japanese chefs aimed at showcasing French cuisine and Japanese cuisine, which are both inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. These events will take place on the eve of Operation Goût de France/Good France, which will showcase French gastronomy on every continent on March 19.

Colombia – Peace process (March 11, 2015)

France welcomes the announcement by President Juan Manuel Santos of the decision to suspend the bombing raids against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for one month.

This decision is a further step toward ending the armed conflict in Colombia. It follows on from the ceasefire observed by FARC since December 18, 2014, and the agreement on mine clearance concluded this week.

France is committed to promoting peace in Colombia. President Hollande reaffirmed our support for this process to President Santos during their meetings on November 7, 2014, and January 26, 2015.

Myanmar/ Burma – Brutal crackdown against a student protest (March 5, 2015)

France is concerned about the use of violence to crackdown against peaceful student demonstrations in Burma.

We reaffirm our attachment to the right to demonstrate peacefully as well as the freedom of expression, which form the foundation of all democratic societies.

France hopes that the future national commission of inquiry concerning the demonstration in Yangon on March 5 will shed full light on these incidents.