EMBASSY OF FRANCE IN WASHINGTON – PRESS & COMMUNICATION SERVICE

Standpoint… n°223, August 24, 2007

The following views reflect France’s official position

… Iraq
Communiqué of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs issued August 19, 2007
“At the invitation of Mr. Jalal Talabani, President of Iraq, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs has just begun an official visit to Baghdad. This is a project he had been thinking about since taking up office.
“Mr. Bernard Kouchner is going to Iraq to convey a messsage of France’s solidarity with the Iraqi people and to listen to the representatives of all the communities, without exception.
“He arrives in Baghdad on August 19, 2007, the fourth anniversary of the terrorist attack which cost the lives of Sergio Vieira de Mello, special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, and around 20 United Nations civil servants. Mr. de Mello was a personal friend of M. Kouchner, as were Nadia Younès, Fiona Watson and Jean-Sélim Kanaan, members of his team in Kosovo.
“On this occasion, he will also express France’s gratitude to [French] embassy staff who are serving in Baghdad with courage and skill in the conditions you know about.”

Press briefing given by Foreign Ministry spokesperson (August 24, 2007)

Q: During his visit to Baghdad, Mr. Kouchner mentioned the idea of holding a conference like the one on Lebanon. After his visit, will France take measures such as a new initiative by the French ambassador on the ground, or will this visit remain symbolic?
The aim of the foreign minister’s visit to Iraq was to go to Baghdad to listen to representatives of all components of Iraqi society—not just the President and his ministers, but also a certain number of political parties, religious leaders and representatives of civil society. As you know, the foreign minister spent three days in Baghdad, although other ministers usually spend just a few hours there. Moreover, he didn’t go just to the green zone, despite what you may have read in certain press reports.
He wanted to deliver a threefold message from France. First, he wanted to testify to France’s solidarity with the Iraqi people and express their compassion with respect to the countless victims of violence in that country.
He also wanted to issue a call for a national reconciliation process that would be inclusive, stressing the fact that it’s not a military solution that will reestablish stability in the country, as we’ve said time and time again, but rather a political solution that is above all up to the Iraqis themselves to institute.
Finally, he wanted to offer support for the regional and international initiatives that have been taken, notably the strengthened role of the UN in providing aid and advice. SCR 1770, adopted in early August, sets out a certain number of orientations for the UN. I would like to stress that the minister’s first trip in Baghdad was a visit to the memorial for the UN staffers who were killed four years ago along with Sergio Viera di Mello, whom Mr. Kouchner knew very well. The minister happened to arrive on August 19, the date of that attack. I’m telling you this because I think it’s important. He also visited the French Embassy, which isn’t in the green zone, to pay tribute to the various embassy employees who are carrying out a very difficult job.
His main objective was to listen to all the components of civil society and the Iraqi political community. He spent a great deal of time with the various parties: the President, the two vice presidents (Sunni and Shiite), the prime minister, the minister of religious affairs, and representatives of the various parties and religious communities, including the Chaldeans. And as he indicated, we cannot afford NOT to be interested in Iraq. This is not a change in French diplomacy—it is the sign of a more sustained interest in one of the major crises on the international scene, in which various problems converge: struggles between religions and communities, and questions of terrorism and security, trafficking and energy. All of these subjects are concentrated in Iraq today, and consequently, the minister believed it was his duty to visit the country very soon. He had long planned this trip, it was something he wanted to do, and he decided to undertake it as quickly as possible.
Q: There have been several conferences on Iraq—financial, intra-communitarian, political, regional… What is France’s idea, what is that little extra thing that France can provide?
Let me get back to the more concrete, more operational aspects. All the interlocutors he met told him that they appreciated that France treats them like a normal country on the diplomatic scene. It wasn’t a symbolic trip; it was a trip that allows the Iraqis to emerge from their marginality on the international scene.
There have been few visits other than those of the foreign ministers of coalition countries and, from that perspective, the Iraqis appreciated a real three-day visit by a French minister at their president’s invitation.
Now, what can we do? The situation in Iraq won’t change overnight. SCR 1770 contains a certain number of indications. With respect to justice, for example, 70,000 people are being held in Iraqi prisons, and more than 10,000 have never had any contact with a lawyer or a judge. Some don’t even know why they’re in prison.
In this area, the international community could work to free those who are being held without reason and to advance the cases of other detainees.
A second example is that of economic development: You have the country with the world’s second-largest oil reserves, and it gets only an hour and a half of electricity per day. That’s absolutely aberrant. We won’t renew the entire Iraqi economy overnight, but we perhaps we can see how the international community might act with respect to economic development in a certain number of areas.
As far as security is concerned, our intention is not to send French soldiers to Iraq, but we could perhaps see what we could do to provide assistance to the police or to the authorities in charge of guaranteeing security in Iraq. These were a few of the subjects mentioned by the minister, and we will discuss them with our partners in the international community. There will soon be an opportunity to discuss them with the EU foreign affairs ministers at the Gymnich meeting, and the minister intends to do so. These are the areas we intend to work on in the future.
Q: Everyone knows that the real problem in Iraq right now is security. As for the support you just mentioned, France has always refused to send personnel to Iraq to help train policemen or officers. Are you changing your position or will you go ahead with such training outside of Iraq? What’s the solution you’re heading toward?
We haven’t yet gone into detail at this level. As I said, the issue of security is obviously important. The minister discussed it and said he would see how the international community could provide support.
Q: Would it be possible for people to be trained outside of Iraq, in France?
We’re not yet ready to precisely define how we would intervene in this area. First, we’re going to bring it up with our European partners. There’s the EUJUST program; perhaps we could develop a similar program with respect to security. But we have to define the modalities.
Q: Did you keep in mind that aid to the Iraqi police was rejected at the time?
To correct what you are saying, we weren’t the ones who refused to provide training three years ago. For various diverse reasons, there was hesitation on the Iraqi side and it didn’t take place. Now we have to see what we can do—not just on the national level but at the level of the EU and more generally that of the UN, which is the best equipped to play a role today on the basis of SCR 1770.
Q: Did the minister meet with U.S. officials during his visit? Is a U.S. timetable for withdrawal still a condition for France?
We haven’t changed our position on a horizon for withdrawal. This visit and the possibilities I just mentioned are aimed at achieving a more specific horizon. As for contacts, Mr. Kouchner saw officials from the international community based in Iraq. He met with the U.S. ambassador for a few minutes and other members of the American embassy. But he also saw the German ambassador and others who are present in Iraq. There aren’t very many of them.

…Iran/nuclear issue
Press briefing given by Foreign Ministry spokesperson (August 22, 2007)

What’s your reaction to the agreement reached between the IAEA and Iran yesterday, setting out a timetable and framework for resolving the existing problems between the Agency and Teheran on the nuclear issue? Do you share the sentiment of the United States that this agreement is insufficient and that talks should continue in the Security Council on new sanctions against Iran?
We have taken note with interest of the announcements made yesterday about a timetable to resolve the “outstanding issues” in conformity with the demands made by the IAEA board of governors and UN Security Council.
With that said, we’ve not yet seen the timetable. We expect it to set out in detail the way to address all these issues as they’ve been identified over the years. The agreed measures will have to be effectively applied in the next few weeks and therefore be accompanied by the necessary instruments to implement them.
Nonetheless, it is important to keep in mind that confidence will not be re-established solely through increased IAEA inspections. In accordance with the repeated demands of the international community, Iran must agree to suspend its sensitive activities; absent that, the international community will have no other option than to maintain its attitude of firmness, including through the adoption of a third resolution on sanctions in the Security Council.

…Myanmar
Communiqué issued by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs August 22, 2007
“France strongly condemns the new round of arrests on the sidelines of the current demonstrations in Rangoon of several human rights activists, including former student leaders Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi, members of the pro-democracy 88 Generation movement
“This is a further stage in the repression of the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar by the authorities. The French authorities urge the military junta in power in Myanmar to release these human rights defenders and in general all political prisoners currently held in Myanmar, among them Aung San Suu Kyi.
“France is also deeply concerned about the use of force by pro-government militias in Rangoon against peaceful and democratic demonstrations. The military junta is responsible for any consequences this unacceptable repression could have on the demonstrators.
“France reaffirms that only dialogue between the government and all the other political forces and civil society will allow a genuine process of democratization in the country to begin. France stands shoulder to shoulder with the actors in civil society in Myanmar who are trying to promote reconciliation and the peaceful transition to democracy in Myanmar in difficult conditions.”

…Peru/Earthquake
Press briefing given by Foreign Ministry spokesperson (August 21, 2007)
France has offered aid to Peru in the wake of the earthquake that struck the southern part of the country on August 15. The aid consists of water-treatment equipment and medical support. France is financing the transport to the stricken area of four water purification units and nine containers of drugs donated by the Tulipe association. Two purification units are being provided by Véolia-Water Force, another by the NGO Aquassistance, the fourth deployed by the NGO DASUD 62 (a firefighters association from Pas-de-Calais), by the Pas-de- Calais general council. The NGO DASUD 62 has sent a 10-member medical team (medics and rescue workers, all firefighters) to the affected area. All the equipment will arrive in Peru tomorrow.
In addition the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs will provide 150,000 euros for local NGO projects for building earthquake-resistant shelters in remote rural areas where nearly half the houses were destroyed. This operation is being co-financed with Germany.
France’s total bilateral aid amounts to 300,000 euros to date. France is also making a significant contribution to the aid being provided by the European Union.
As assessment of the situation on the ground is currently in progress. France is ready to increase its aid if needed.

…Abolition of slave trade
Press briefing given by Foreign Ministry spokesperson (August 23, 2007)
We are commemorating today the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.
On May 10, 2001 France, in a law that passed unanimously, endorsed recognition of the trade and slavery as a crime against humanity. The law conveys a message and a demand for justice, truth and fraternity.
In 2004 the Committee for Remembrance of Slavery was first established. On May 10, 2006 France celebrated the first “day” in Metropolitan France given over to remembrance of the slave trade, slavery and their abolition.
France is also actively taking part in international bodies in discussions and debates and work on the question of slavery as it did at the Durban conference in 2001.
France is pursuing a resolute fight against all contemporary forms of slavery, particularly the trafficking of human beings.
On this day of remembrance instituted by UNESCO, France renews its support for the work this organization is doing and especially its actions to increase awareness of slavery and to promote inter-cultural dialogue.

…IMF
Press briefing given by Foreign Ministry spokesperson (August 22, 2007)

Q: What’s your reaction to the candidacy of Josef Tosovsky to head the IMF, and to the support he’s been given by Russia?
The process is still open for nominations for director-general of the IMF. The deadline for filing candidacies is August 31. Mr. Strauss-Kahn has himself said that any candidacies were welcome.
All the European Union member states, including the Czech Republic, have indicated they support Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s candidacy.
Mr. Strauss-Kahn is continuing his program of international meetings. After visiting Africa, he is currently in Asia and will be going to Latin America shortly.
He has already received considerable support during this travels, particularly from many African countries. In Asia his candidacy has just received China’s support.