The Daily Press Briefing

Statements made by
the Ministry for Europe
and Foreign Affairs
Spokesperson


Paris - September 27, 2019
In this issue:

◢  Ukraine

◢  Syria – Chemical weapons

 
Ukraine

In your view, do the Ukrainian president's remarks, as quoted by the White House, that he believed that Berlin and Paris were not doing enough to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian conflict complicate efforts to resolve the crisis and the holding of a summit of heads of state and government in the Normandy format announced for "the next few weeks?"

We do not comment on quoted remarks.



Syria – Chemical weapons

The United States announced on Thursday that it had confirmation that a chemical attack was carried out by the Syrian regime on May 19 in Idlib. Does France also have this confirmation and if so, how does it intend to respond to it?

We have noted with concern the information regarding the use of chemical weapons in May in Kabana, in Latakia Province in Syria, disclosed by the U.S. secretary of state. Full light must be shed on the possible use of chemical weapons.

We have every confidence in the International Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in this regard. The OPCW has recently, with our support, adopted new capacities to identify the perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. We call on the international community as a whole to fully cooperate with this organization.

President Macron reaffirmed again in May that we remain extremely vigilant with respect to the use of chemical weapons. France reaffirms its constant position against the use of chemical weapons and in support of ensuring that the perpetrators of chemical attacks are punished.

It was with this in mind that France launched, on January 23, 2018, the International Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons, which now brings together 39 countries, as well as the European Union.


France in the
United States
Embassy of France in Washington, D.C.
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