…Liban
Joint Statement by the US and France (September 21, 2007)
The United States and France condemn in the strongest possible terms the brutal murder of Antoine Ghaneem. The two countries reaffirm that it is crucial that the presidential elections in Lebanon be held according to the Lebanese constitutional schedules and norms.
The fact that the international community, through a unanimous Security Council Resolution 1757, instituted the international tribunal following the murder of Prime Minister Hariri, demonstrated its determination not to let such crimes go unpunished.
What is at stake today is the will of the murderers to disrupt the constitutional life of Lebanon, to deprive the Lebanese people and communities of their political rights in the framework of a united, sovereign, and democratic Lebanon. The U.S. and France, with their partners in the United Nations Security Council, are vigilant to protecting this process and the intra-Lebanese political dialogue. France, as President of the Security Council, is keenly attentive to this. Such a result will mark not only the defeat of the murderers but also the victory of all Lebanese people and communities.
…62nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Speech by M. Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the Republic (New York, September 25, 2007) - excerpts
France is loyal to its friends and the values it shares with them. But loyalty is not the same as submission; loyalty is not a prison. And France wants to use this loyalty to open up to others.
I want to tell the world that France will remain ready and willing to talk to everyone in the world, on every continent.
I also want to say that openness to others doesn't mean abdication of responsibility, that understanding doesn't mean weakness. Weakness and abdication of responsibility don’t lead to peace, but to war. France and Europe have in the past suffered the tragic consequences of this for themselves and for the world. When one is weak and submissive, then one prepares oneself to accept war. And we all have a duty to ensure that it never happens again.
There won't be peace in the world if the international community compromises with the right of peoples to self-determination or with human rights.
There won't be peace in the world if the international community is not fiercely determined to fight terrorism.
There won't be peace in the world if the international community isn't united in its resolve to put an end to the wars in the Middle East, in its resolve to put an end to the horror in Darfur, the tragedy of Lebanon and humanitarian tragedy in Somalia.
I want to say, weighing my words, there won't be peace in the world if the international community shows any weakness in the face of nuclear arms proliferation. Iran is entitled to nuclear power for civilian purposes. But if we allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, we would incur an unacceptable risk to stability in the region and in the world. I want to say here, in the name of France, that this crisis will be resolved only by combining firmness with dialogue.
It's with this in mind that France will act.
I want to say here, in the name of France, that it is the international community's duty to confront those who seek power and constantly threaten the extremely fragile balance of peace with its unwavering unity and its determination to uphold the law.
I want to say in the name of France that there won't be peace in the world without respect for diversity, without respect for national identities, without respect – if I may say so – for religions and beliefs, or without respect for cultures.
(…) There are in the world, and even in the richest countries, a multitude of men and women who no longer even have the hope of one day escaping their material or mental distress. So to end, I want to appeal to the conscience of all those with any responsibility for the conduct of world affairs.Because if we don't do this, the poor and the exploited will one day rise up against the injustice done to them.
What the world needs is a new way of thinking.
It needs a genuine global-scale New Deal.
An ecological and economic New Deal.
In the name of France, I call on all States to unite to found the new world order of the twenty-first century on the basis of the potent idea that mankind's public goods must be made the responsibility of the whole of mankind.
In the name of France, I issue a solemn appeal to the United Nations, in this century scarred by the return of scarcity, to provide itself with the means to ensure everyone has access to all vital resources, to water, energy, food, medicine and knowledge.
I issue a solemn appeal to the United Nations to take on the task of more fairly distributing the profits, the income from raw materials and technology.
I issue a solemn appeal to the United Nations to take on the task of raising moral standards in financial capitalism.
I issue a solemn appeal to the United Nations to do more to tackle the corruption which is undermining countries which are suffering and are too poor.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Things must change; attitudes and behaviour must change. It is our responsibility. It is our responsibility now because tomorrow it will be too late, because otherwise we will see the resurgence of all the threats the post-war world thought it had averted. Let's not treat this risk lightly.
Peoples of the world, together we can build a better world for all mankind.It is solely up to us, it depends on our ability to be true to the values in whose name we are gathered here today.
As you can see, France thinks we can't delay any longer. France is asking for action, France is encouraging action, France will answer the call to act in pursuit of peace in the world.
…Iran/Nuclear issue
Press briefing given by Foreign Ministry spokesperson (September 28, 2007)
Q: The US Congress has advocated unilateral sanctions against certain countries. France had condemned this and stated its position against unilateralism in the world. The American Congress is interfering in a country. You are content to say only that your position is to respect integrity, unity and sovereignty.
I believe you are speaking of two separate things. The legislation you’re referring to is a non-binding resolution in the American senate, and I have repeated the French position on this matter.
With regard to decisions or legislation calling for extra-territorial measures, we have told the Americans--and the minister, who was just in Washington and met with Congress repeated this-- that we pay close attention to proposed measures that are extra-territorial because we consider that they are not useful at a time when we are determined to get Iran to answer the Security Council’s demands. Measures like that could be contested in view of the rules of international economic law.
Q: It seems that the rhetorical level is going up a bit with respect to Iran (…)
(…) I can only tell you again what our assessment of the situation is. What the IAEA is doing now, as part of its program of work, in the context of the agreement concluded with Iran, is to look into what are called past activities and to shed light on the situations where Iran concealed the facts. That is one thing. And then there are the demands, more particularly I would say, the demands that we continue to address to Iran, for suspension of sensitive activities and our demands concerning the additional protocol. This was the subject of discussions when the EU3+3 group conferred, in Washington and New York.
Ministers are meeting in New York this afternoon. They’ll not only be conferring on this issue in detail but they will also be making statements.
…Iraq
Press briefing given by Foreign Ministry spokesperson (September 28, 2007)
Q: Do you have any reaction to the decision taken in the US Senate yesterday? Do you think the Senate is entitled to make statements about the division or partition of Iraq?
I will reply to your question by repeating France’s constant position on Iraq, in support of the unity, sovereignty and integrity of Iraq.
Q: In France’s view, who has the right to decide whether Iraq should be separated into three separated states?
The future of Iraq is in the hands of the Iraqi people. It is up to them to decide what constitutional form they wish to give the Iraqi state.
Q: Do you think there’s a danger of partition in the country given the situation?
I don’t believe anyone in Iraq wants partition, and, as far as we are concerned, I have just repeated that we are committed to Iraq’s integrity, unity and sovereignty.
…Myanmar
Press briefing given by Foreign Ministry spokesperson (September 28, 2007)
(…) Q : Should France put pressure on China?
I will respond to this question and more generally about the situation in Myanmar by saying that we are continuing to follow the situation with extreme concern and we reiterate our urgent call to the authorities in Rangoon to stop using violence against peaceful demonstrators. And we again demand the release of prisoners.
Aside from this demand, I would like to emphasize that we also have initiatives going on. As you know, the Myanmar chargé d’affaires was summoned to the Quai d’Orsay three days ago, and the day before the president received the Myanmar opposition leader in exile and Ms Yade saw him today.
In addition, and this is at Mr. Kouchner’s initiative since France is president of the Security Council until the end of September, the Security Council met to examine the situation in Myanmar. After the meeting, a Council presidential statement was read to the press. I believe it’s a first on this question since it was made on behalf of all the Security Council members. It was a statement urging the Myanmar authorities to exercise restraint
Following this statement and the urgent call for the authorities to agree to admit the UN secretary-general’s special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, he obtained a visa to travel to Myanmar. According to our information, he is due to arrive tomorrow. We naturally support his mission and his efforts. He will convey the international community’s concern and the demands addressed to the Myanmar authorities. On his return to New York, the Security Council will listen to him, study his report and continue its examination of the situation.
Together with our partners, especially the British, we have made representations to China, Russia and the other Security Council members, and to the countries in the region, particularly the ASEAN members, to convey our great concern and urge all countries that may have influence over the conduct of the Myanmar authorities to use their contact and channels of communication so that restraint is exercised.
>Q: Has Rama Yade got a visa to travel to Myanmar and why is she going? (…) Is she planning some specific action in Myanmar?
To answer your first question, Ms Yade has not yet received a visa at this stage.
With regard to your second question, visiting there, as she said, Ms Yade will express her solidarity and France’s with the victims of the crackdown, the peaceful demonstrators; and she will also delivery a firm message, a message of concern, to the Myanmar authorities. She will say that the French authorities, the president, the minister of foreign and European affairs, herself, have issued statements. She will do this in the strongest possible way.
(…) Our objective is to bring maximum additional pressure to bear on the Myanmar authorities so that they not only stop the repression and release not only the prisoners but also commit to a genuine process of national reconciliation; that is the aim of the statements we have made.
It is also the aim of the statements made in New York by the EU foreign ministers and their American colleague. You’ll have noted that other countries made statements in a similar vein, and I think it is important that the ASEAN members should also have taken a position yesterday through the voice of their Singapore president.
In the EU, there are and will continue to be meetings so as to consider the type of additional pressure that we can exert on the authorities in Rangoon. Our objective, as I’ve said, is to get the violence to stop; and beyond the demonstrations, to see a start to democratization, reconciliation and the re-establishment of the rule of law in Myanmar.
Q: If Ms Yade goes, will it be just in a French capacity or as part of a European mission? If I remember correctly, the measures against Myanmar ban bilateral visits to the country?
Absolutely. That is why we discussed the project with our partners who said they agreed with the initiative. Ms Yade hopes to go to Rangoon to deliver this message from France, which is also a European message since our partners are absolutely in line with us. The president had made the point when he met the prime minister of the opposition in exile, that the mission could be undertaken in a European framework.
…Adoption of SCR 1778
Press briefing given by Foreign Ministry spokesperson (September 27, 2007)
I will read the communiqué issued by the minister of foreign and European affairs in New York yesterday:
“The Security Council has unanimously adopted resolution 1778 authorizing the deployment of an international presence in eastern Chad and the northeastern part of the Central African Republic.
“I am pleased with this result which shows the determination of the international community to act to improve the security of the refugee and displaced populations in eastern Chad and northeastern CAR, whose distress I saw during my trip to Chad in June. This international presence will facilitate a voluntary return to their home regions and allow for efforts to start on reconstruction and development in these areas.
“The text of the resolution, submitted to the other Council members on France’s initiative, is the result of close and exemplary cooperation between the United Nations, which will handle the policing aspect of the operation, the European Union, which will take on the military aspect, and the authorities of Chad and the Central African Republic whose open and constructive attitude I welcome.
“I hope that the discussions that will now be continuing in Brussels will keep the momentum going. France, which has spared no effort to date, will continue to work to this end.
“Two months after the unanimous adoption of resolution 1769 authorizing the deployment of the hybrid force, this text is a further sign of international unity in finding a lasting solution to the crisis in Darfur and its consequences on the neighboring countries.”
More issues and more on these issues at : (French Embassy in Washington), (French Ministry of Foreign Affairs) You can also receive this letter via e-mail. Please, send your e-mail address to info.WASHINGTON-AMBA@diplomatie.fr
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