Today's Date:

Paris, May 22, 2003

IRAQ/UN/DISARMAMENT/UNMOVIC/IAEA

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Q. - Will the UN have a role?

THE MINISTER - We can say that the UN is back and, basically, the real challenge is to ensure that the UN can regain its role since we firmly believe that it alone is capable of lending its legitimacy, experience and effectiveness to the action on the ground.
Obviously, we had to find the way to do this and so there was a very technical discussion on each of the points: the legal situation, which you mentioned, the sanctions, disarmament, and we wanted, in order to be consistent, the disarmament process to be certified by the United Nations.

Q. - But controlled by the inspectors, and will they return?

THE MINISTER - The inspectors must return, what we've done is initiate the process, UNMOVIC and the IAEA will have to certify the disarmament, even if they do so with the American and British inspectors already over there, there are nearly 2,000 inspectors today.

We want this disarmament process to be totally completed.

TRANSITION PERIOD

Q. - And do you know how long the transition period will be? Have the Americans agreed to say this?

THE MINISTER - That's an important point on which we have also worked. At the beginning, the draft had no deadline and so we have provided for a rendezvous clause, at the end of twelve months. We have provided for - and this was very important for France - regular monitoring, we want transparency and at regular intervals, every three months or so, to know exactly what is happening on the ground. So reports will be made to the Security Council, information will be provided. And, above all, and this is a key factor, there will be a United Nations special representative. To begin with, there was talk only of a coordinator, someone whose job it was, on the side, to watch things being done; now he has an effective independent political role and so will be able to play a full part in this political process which is undoubtedly one of the keys to the reconstruction. There must very quickly be a legitimate authority and, as we said yesterday with our Russian and German friends, we want, very swiftly to see full sovereignty restored to the Iraqis.
Initially, we are in the phase of making the country safe, so those committed on the ground have a special responsibility. They are creating a stabilization force but this is, at the end of the day, only a sort of broader coalition. So, at the appropriate moment, it's essential for a legitimate sovereign authority to be established in Iraq and to govern the country.

US/IRAQ/TERRORISM/PROLIFERATION/MIDDLE EAST

Q. - What do you think about the many headlines in today's American press to the effect that Mr Bush's policy in Iraq isn't fulfilling its commitments.

THE MINISTER - It's an appallingly difficult task. Remember France's argument throughout these long months: a country can wage war on its own, but a country can't build peace on its own. The war clearly risked leading to the emergence of this period of uncertainty, frustration, resentment, tension, and today we are seeing the return of large-scale violence on the international stage and in this region. We are seeing this with the constant growth of the terrorist risk and this is precisely why we thought it necessary to take the process of peaceful disarmament as far as it could go.

The war took place, we now have to restore the unity of the [international] community since without it how can we hope to reduce terrorism, reduce the risk of proliferation and resolve the regional crises? I repeat this since it is today at the heart of France's concerns.

We have to find a solution to the Middle East conflict and if the feeling of injustice doesn't diminish, if solutions aren't found for the painful insecurity today felt, on their side, by the Israelis, the spiral of violence will continue.

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AFGHANISTAN/INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM/HEROIN/CULTURAL DIALOGUE/ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Q. - And isn't there a paradox in the Afghanistan situation? After 11 September, Afghanistan, the first battleground on which the Americans fought international terrorism, is today the leading producer of heroin, which is fuelling the international terrorist networks.

THE MINISTER - You're absolutely right and this shows once again that war alone isn't the solution. There has to be an underlying political strategy and a cultural dialogue so that we can talk to these countries, and we need a vision of economic development. (...)./.