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Daily Press Briefing Statements made by [Please note that only the original French text issued by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be considered official.] PONANT
I would like to read a communiqué from Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Bernard Kouchner:
“I learned with great joy that the crew members of the Ponant, who had been held hostage for a week, have been released. I am delighted at this happy outcome. My first thoughts go to the families and loved ones of our compatriots, and the other crew members who will soon be with theirs.
“We shall be arranging for their return to France as soon as possible.
“I also want to extend my warm thanks to all those who helped resolve this crisis.
“The international community must mobilize for a determined fight against acts of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia. France, which took the initiative for Operation Alycon to escort WFP humanitarian ships sailing to Somalia, considers it necessary to go further, especially at the United Nations. Discussion have started in New York with our partners to move forward on this.”
Q - What were the conditions for the release?
As you’ve seen, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs was fully mobilized, in particular through its crisis unit which was working night and day since last Friday to ensure things went as well as possible while they remained in permanent contact with the families.
For the rest, I’m going to disappoint you but I’m not going to answer other questions. The president will be meeting with the families late this afternoon. You will have to wait till then for all the answers to your questions.
Q - Can you give us details about the nationalities of the former hostages who weren’t French?
As I said, let’s wait for the president to meet with the families because he wants the families to be the first to have all the information. I ask you to be a little patient.
Foreign and European Affairs Minister Bernard Kouchner will receive Hungarian Foreign Minister Kinga Goncz on April 14. At the same time European Affairs State Secretary Jean-Pierre Jouyet will have a meeting with his counterpart, State Secretary Gabor Ivan, who is in charge of internal community affairs.
The visit comes ahead of the conclusion of a “strategic partnership” between our two countries sought by President Nicolas Sarkozy and Hungarian Prime Minster Ferenc Gyurcsany, which is due to be signed shortly.
The meetings will be used to examine the main priorities of the French EU presidency and strengthen our points of agreement on major issues: the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, the future and duration of the CAP, the development and financing of common European policies, especially in energy. Our two countries will also be conferring on relations between the EU and Russia, the western Balkans and neighboring countries to the east and Mediterranean.
France welcomes yesterday’s ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by Slovakia. This brings to seven the number of member states that have ratified it./.
Embassy of France, April 11, 2008
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