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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.]
CSFE
The 56th plenary session of the Conseil supérieur des Francais de l’étranger (CSFE) will take place in Paris from September 1-6, 2003. The formal opening session will be at the Quai d’Orsay with Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, chairman of the CSFE, taking the chair.
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The CSFE, established in 1948, is the representative assembly of the two million French people living abroad. It consists of 12 senators representing expatriate French citizens, 150 delegates elected by direct universal suffrage by French expatriate communities, and 21 qualified individuals.
Noëlle Lenoir has had talks on the sidelines of the ambassadors’ conference with Danuta Hubner, Polish European affairs Minister. They had a working luncheon on August 28.
The luncheon was preceded by a meeting between Ms Hubner and Ms Lenoir, European Affairs Minister Delegate. Ms Lenoir again emphasized the importance France attaches to the success of the EU enlargement process in which Poland has to take its full place. (...)
Following the displacement of large numbers of people exposed to serious health and food security risks in the region of Pool, in the Congo, and in response to the urgent request for assistance from the Congolese authorities to aid donors, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released 80,000 euros to our embassy in Brazzaville. This money will serve in particular for the purchase of the necessary supplies for the reconstruction of housing and to provide temporary shelter and health equipment.
In the interest of its long-term humanitarian action in Iraq, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to allocate a 100,000-euro grant to the Chaîne de l’Espoir association in order to allow it to treat locally children who have been particularly affected, directly or indirectly, by the war.
It appeared more appropriate for both medical and humanitarian reasons to treat identified cases in Iraq itself rather than bring these children to France.
The grant was made after a Ministry-supported mission to evaluate Iraq’s needs by Professor Alain Deloche, head of Chaîne de l’Espoir, at the request of Foreign Secretary Renaud Muselier.
Q - Are the same skills available locally as in France for the affected children?
Absolutely. The idea is precisely the perfectly competent specialists. It’s true that in the majority of cases, it is far more logical to treat them on the spot rather than fly them to France on a medically equipped aircraft, a formula which is far more complex involving a lot more red tape. The choice seemed appropriate.
Q - Can you confirm the truth of an article in the Washington Post today citing the minister as saying he’d begun informal contacts with his US and UK counterparts on an eventual UN resolution?
I refer you to what Dominique de Villepin said yesterday at the ambassadors’ conference. I think he was very clear. As I told you a few days ago, we’ve no knowledge of a draft resolution. No such project exists at this stage. Ideas are simply being floated in New York around the Security Council, but once again, there’s no supporting paper, no draft in the formal sense of the word.
Q - On that specific point, are there informal contacts?
Informal contacts take place all the time. Ministers speak to each other by phone. I mentioned to you the minister’s contacts with Jack Straw and Colin Powell in the past few days.
Q - What about a possible resolution on Iraq?
Not to my knowledge.
Q - Richard Perle said that having Iraq directed by the UN wasn’t such a bad idea. He also said there was a possibility that the US might accept the idea of coalition forces being placed under the UN providing they were led by the Americans. Any comment? Do you agree?
A lot of things are being said these days, a lot of things, also the opposite. For us, the main thing is the message that the minister, Dominique de Villepin, is trying to get over. There has to be the transition from a logic of occupation to a political logic, to the logic of restoring Iraq’s sovereignty. That implies, to our thinking, the complete, central involvement of the United Nations. That’s our position. But others may have other ideas, obviously.
The presidential elections that have just been held in Rwanda are a significant stage in the process of national reconciliation. It is an encouraging sign for progress that must be continued.
Irregularities were noted, especially by the electoral observer mission sent by the EU.
The EU position issued this morning is that the European Union expects these irregularities to be investigated in a transparent way.
Along with its congratulations, France has also offered President Paul Kagame every encouragement to continue on the path of stabilization, reconciliation and the broadest possible association of the country’s forces who can thus place a key role in the return to peace and therefore prosperity throughout this region of Africa.
Q - Reporters Without Borders has just put out a highly critical report on Iran, about crackdowns and freedom of the press--20 journalists are in prison in Iran, a number have been kidnapped, harassed, arrested, etc. Have you seen the report and do you have any comment?
I’ve not read it but I can reaffirm France’s unchanging commitment to freedom of the press. As you know, about three weeks ago we expressed our deep shock at the death of an Iranian-Canadian journalist. At the time we said we fervently hoped there would be an inquiry to shed full light on what happened in this tragic incident.
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Q - Some news organs reported yesterday that France, Germany and Britain had sent a letter through their foreign ministers saying that they were prepared to help Iran improve its civilian nuclear program in exchange for strict compliance with AIEA standards. Is it true? Is Iran, in your view, complying with IAEA international standards?
I can confirm that such a letter has been sent. I’m not in a position to divulge its contents. I can simply say that we are maintaining a dialogue with Iran in close consultation with our various partners, in order to convey our main message, namely that we expected robust action from the Iraqi authorities, in other words, specifically, the signing and implementation of the addition protocol to the IAEA safeguards agreement. All this is going on now. We told you a few days ago about the IAEA report. The report will be discussed by the board of governors on September 8. Contacts are continuing.
Q - Am I right in understanding that France is prepared to help Iraq to that end in exchange for signing the additional agreement?
I don’t think one can be quite so specific, but it is obvious that we’re trying to find solutions that are consensus–based as much as possible.
Q - Some news organs mentioned a French report presented to the IAEA board and referred to Iranian attempts to purchase nuclear military equipment in France. Can you confirm that such a report exists and can you comment?
It is true that a working document was presented by French experts at a May meeting of the nuclear suppliers’ group, which has 40 member states. A North American daily got hold of this working document and put it on its website at the beginning of August.
I’ve no particular comment because these are experts’ deliberations. With regard to the whole question of Iran, I’ve had occasion to recall France’s position in detail over the past few days, and I’ve nothing further to add.
Q - Apparently the AIEA is going to take a look at Israel and its nuclear program. Do you know about this? If so, what’s your reaction?
I’m not aware of it.
Q - Some parties in the Ivorian conflict have taken a position and accused France of taking sides in favor of Laurent Gbagbo after the arrest of Ibrahim Coulibaly. Isn’t that liable to sideline France in any solution to the question?
All sorts of rumors can circulate. What do you have in the final analysis? There is one fact. The French authorities learned of possible action to destabilize an allied, friendly state and consequently took the necessary steps in accordance with the law and spirit of friendship between our two countries. Anything beyond that is supposition. France, more than ever, is committed to the implementation of the Marcoussis agreements. It’s important to continue, to persevere. These agreements were approved by all the Ivorian parties. So it’s important to continue working in this direction. For the rest, in this specific case, with regard to the individuals who have been arrested, it’s a matter for the courts, and the judicial system is doing its job, in complete independence as it must.
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Q - About the meeting in Beijing? Do you have any comment? The EU wasn’t present, neither was France. Is there likely to be any comment ?
France is pleased that a second meeting was held to try to resolve the nuclear crisis in North Korea. It is still too soon to assess the results of the meeting, but we thank all those who made it possible, in particular the People’s Republic of China. We hope that the process will lead quickly to a third meeting, and we are hoping for concrete results--a complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear program and compliance with the international nonproliferation regime.
We call on North Korea to stop brandishing a threat to the international community, in particular the threat of nuclear tests. We hope that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea realizes that the formation of a nuclear arsenal would completely go against the international non-proliferation regime and we urge it to show the utmost restraint and cooperate with the international community.
Nevertheless, we recall that the Security Council remains seized of this matter.
Naturally we are conferring closely with the countries that participated directly in this exercise, the US but also our Japanese, Chinese and Korean partners.
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Q - You said there was an inquiry into the Comité de bienfaisance et de soutien à la Palestine. Could you explain the reasons for the investigation.
Simply because a number of elements warrant an inquiry. After the European summit in Thessalonika in June, with our EU partners, we committed to conducting a number of checks. We French are doing this, but so are all the European countries potentially concerned. So every country is carrying out the necessary checks and doing what has to be done. The process is going on now.
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Q - About Hamas. Will it be one of the questions you talk about in Italy next week? Could you give us some idea of what France will say about terrorist organizations?
I don’t want to prejudge the Gymnich positions which will be drafted by the 15. As you know, we’re talking about a European process, a process of discussion, consultations and coordination taking place all the time, and I’ll add confidentially, you understand.
The EU has already put the Hamas military wing on its list of terrorist organization and it has also frozen the assets of the Dutch Al Aqsa association because it had sufficient indications for a European decision.
So in line with the Thessalonika council I just referred to, the EU is active because it is committed to fighting the sources of terrorist financing.
So the talks will be taking place in this context, and we’ll have to see what the conclusions are.
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I would like to recall one principle which we have stressed several times from the beginning, the principle of solidarity. France’s solidarity vis-à-vis its partners and the partners’ vis-à-vis France. It’s an important aspect in this matter.
Q - Just one clarification. In your contacts with Mr. Straw yesterday and during your contacts with the Americans and Libyans...
There are lots of contacts, a great deal at this time.
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Embassy of France, August 29, 2003
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