EU/CAR/Ukraine – Cyprus – Syria – CAR

Report on the European Union Foreign Affairs Council (Brussels, 10 February 2014)

M. Thierry Repentin, Minister Delegate for European Affairs, took part in the European Union Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels yesterday.

Prominent among the subjects on the agenda were the following decisions regarding the CAR and Ukraine:

 Central African Republic: the ministers took the decision to establish the operation codenamed EUFOR CAR, which will provide support to make the Bangui area secure, in order to hand over to the African forces. It is now up to the Europeans to announce, soon, the details of their participation in the operation. The Council also entrusted the command of this European operation to France’s Major-General Philippe Pontiès.

 Ukraine: the ministers reiterated their call for an end to the violence and the urgent nature of dialogue, with a view to a peaceful political solution. They called on the authorities to respect the fundamental freedoms of Ukrainian citizens and said they were ready to react
promptly in the event of the situation deteriorating on the ground. The member states also signalled the EU’s willingness, in coordination with the international financial institutions and depending on the reforms accomplished, to help Ukraine overcome its economic difficulties. (…)

Cyprus - Resumption of intercommunity negotiations (11 February 2014)

France welcomes the adoption by Mr Nicos Anastasiades, President of the Republic of Cyprus, and Mr Derviş Eroğlu, the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, of the joint declaration allowing the resumption of intercommunity negotiations aimed at the reunification of the island of Cyprus.

It commends the efforts that have made this possible, and reaffirms that the forthcoming negotiations, initiated on the basis of this joint declaration, should lead to an agreement in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the principles on which the European Union is founded.

France will lend its support to this process, at national level as well as within the European Union and the UN Security Council. It calls on all parties to adopt a constructive attitude in order to reach a solution.

Syria

Q. – Do you have any reaction to Russia and China’s absence from a preparatory meeting on the draft humanitarian text at the UN yesterday?

THE SPOKESMAN – France attaches great importance to the discussion which is going to get under way at the Security Council with a view to the adoption of a draft resolution on the humanitarian situation in Syria.
For the past three years the Syrian people have been undergoing a bloody conflict that has led to more than 130,000 deaths and millions of displaced people and refugees. It’s a matter of urgency for the Security Council to be in a position to take decisions, particularly in order to bring security and guarantee humanitarian access to the Syrian people, and we’d like all the members of the Security Council to take part in this discussion and enable the Council to adopt a resolution swiftly.

Q. – Mr Lavrov said this morning that the draft was unacceptable.
THE SPOKESMAN – The discussion is beginning. We hope it will make it possible to narrow the differences. Everyone will have to shoulder their responsibilities. France has only one goal, which it will uphold to the Security Council members: namely, to guarantee humanitarian access to the Syrian people. (…)

CAR

Q. – Regarding the conversation between Laurent Fabius and Ban Ki-moon: they discussed several issues, but chiefly the CAR, and I understand that the CAR stabilization mission is 3,000 soldiers short. Did Ban Ki-moon ask you to contribute more? You’ve already got 1,600 soldiers over there. Can you give us details of the conversation?

THE SPOKESMAN – The Minister did indeed talk to the UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon. Their exchange focused particularly on:

 The remarkable job done by MISCA [AFISM-CAR] in the Central African Republic, which France is supporting through Operation Sangaris. In very difficult circumstances, the contingents supplied by the central African states are doing their best, in the areas they are deployed, to discharge the mandate to ensure the safety and protection of civilians which the Security Council entrusted to them.

 The reinforcement of the international forces in the Central African Republic. Since the beginning of December, the international military presence has been constantly reinforced in the country. The number of MISCA troops has gone from 2,000 to 6,000 in a few weeks. This force is also supported by the 1,600 French soldiers from Operation Sangaris, as it will be soon, in the coming weeks, by the European operation EUFOR
CAR – the European Foreign Ministers have just decided this, in their meeting on 10 February. A French general, M. Philippe Pontiès, has been put in charge of the operation. Over 8,000 European and African soldiers could thus shortly be on the ground.

 Finally, the Minister recalled the need to work on setting up a peacekeeping operation under the Blue Helmets, so it can take over by the summer. If need be, this changeover, under the UN’s authority, will allow the volume of forces necessary to be adjusted.

Q. – How is the European Union going to participate?

THE SPOKESMAN – A number of European Union member states are deciding on the details of how exactly they intend to participate. All the international community’s efforts, those of the Africans first, the French and the Europeans, are directed at stepping up the international presence alongside the transitional authorities in the Central African Republic to stabilize the country.

Q. – Is France going to make an extra effort?

THE SPOKESMAN – The French authorities have spoken about the scale of the French effort.

Q. – Given that there’s a French commander for EUFOR CAR, could French forces be envisaged as part of EUFOR CAR or are [only] other European countries going to be?

THE SPOKESMAN – The decision to set up the EUFOR CAR operation has just been taken. The mission’s command has been entrusted to a French general. As for the rest, we’re going to talk to our partners about the details of setting this operation up. (…)./.