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France on the proposed international Iraq conference

'INTERVIEW GIVEN BY M. MICHEL BARNIER,MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,TO "RMC - MOYEN-ORIENT"', September 28, 2004

Q. - France considers the holding of an international conference on Iraq useful, but is laying down as a precondition the withdrawal of US forces. Can UN forces take over from the US forces and secure the transition period?

THE MINISTER - France quite obviously isn't laying down any preconditions for this conference. We're simply keen for all the conditions for making a success of this conference to be fulfilled. I want to reiterate that to resolve this very serious Iraq crisis there has to be a political, democratic process - we've always said this, particularly at the United Nations - and, moreover, this is precisely what UNSCR 1546 provides for with all its various steps. And it's here that a conference can be useful in order to check that there is very wide acceptance for these different steps in Iraq, of course, by all those rejecting violence and, beyond Iraq, by all the countries of the region in whose interest it is to have a stable Iraq.

Among the steps laid down in UNSCR 1546, remember, there's the question of the multinational force's continued presence or withdrawal, and this is a matter which will have to be addressed.

Q. - And in that case is France ready to contribute to such a force?

THE MINISTER - We've said and I want to repeat - I said this at the United Nations - that there aren't and won't be any French soldiers in Iraq for reasons of principle. But I've also said that, working alongside them, we shall help the Iraqi people rebuild their country and their institutions.

Q. - You suggested the involvement of all the Iraqi political forces, including the armed resistance, do you think this is an essential condition for holding and making a success of this conference?

THE MINISTER - For such a conference to be successful, obviously the maximum, the greatest number of communities, of Iraqi political forces must be involved, be included in this political process - and I did indeed say: including all those who, at some point or other, have resisted, but who today choose to give up violence.

Q. - As regards the forthcoming elections scheduled for next January: does France think these have to be organized regardless, even if the chaotic situation persists in the country?

THE MINISTER - We are still working within the framework of UNSCR 1546, which includes among the steps [towards Iraq's political transition to democratic government] elections before 31 January 2005. It's extremely important to make a success of this step. This is why we think that it's important before the end of the year to hold a conference bringing together as many as possible of Iraq's political forces and communities and all the countries in the region, and perhaps also other countries from the international community, in order to bolster, support the process and particularly this first step.

Q. - Is France going to make suggestions as to the place, date and conditions for holding this conference?

THE MINISTER - No, we're going to discuss at the United Nations - the framework we've sought from the outset, which is the framework for debate and international action -, we've discussed a good possible date with the partners we're working with. It's not so much the date which is important - after or before the US election - what's important is to make a success of this conference and to do so with all those who have to, who want to take part in it by putting on its agenda all the matters, steps set out in UNSCR 1546.

Q. - Are you in favour of holding the conference in New York or a capital in the region?

THE MINISTER - Quite frankly, this must be a joint decision. We have talked about the United Nations for the discussion which has to take place - but why not one of the capitals in the region? Once again, what's important is for everyone together to discuss frankly both the agenda and the place and conditions for making the conference a success.

Q. - Do you think the Iranian diplomat's release brings us any closer to a political conclusion of the issue of the French hostages?

THE MINISTER - It gives us some encouragement to continue our efforts and we welcomed, first of all for him and for his country, the Iranian Consul's release. And so we are continuing our efforts.

As you will have noted, we are currently working discreetly, having previously explained at both public and diplomatic levels the whys and wherefores of the French Republican Act on secularity (laïcité). This Act on the wearing of religious signs in State schools is being applied in a spirit of dialogue, as the government formally pledged it would be. The results of its implementation will be assessed for the future and, to do this, the government will be asking Parliament to set up a commission. Representatives of France's Muslims will obviously contribute to the commission's work on the Act's implementation and we shall take account of this new appraisal for the future. (...)

I can't say any more about the fate of Christian Chesnot, Georges Malbrunot and their Syrian driver, patience and discretion must prevail because the hostages' safety is today our prime concern.

Q. - You said that a fortnight ago we entered a new phase in this crisis, can you be more explicit?

THE MINISTER - There was the explanatory effort we carried out in the region and from Paris, all together, and which I'm continuing, in particular by answering your question on the Republican Act and the spirit of dialogue in which we want to implement this Act on secularity. In the past fortnight, going beyond that and with this explanation, we have been in a new phase in which we have to be both discreet and patient and, once again, I think that everyone has to understand this because it's the condition, one of the conditions on which the safety of Christian Chesnot, Georges Malbrunot and their Syrian driver depends./.

International conference on Iraq, Statement by the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, September 28, 2004.

(Paris, September 28, 2004)

Q - Yesterday, the minister and you yourself said that France wanted any eventual international conference to be well prepared. In your view, what's a reasonable time for preparing the conference?

First of all, I want to say that the minister will be speaking at 5 p.m. on RMC-MO, and that will be one of the points. So I don't want to pre-empt what he's going to say. But even so, I can tell you that our concern, and I think it's a shared concern, is for this conference to be useful, and first of all useful for Iraq. Starting from there, you obviously need to get together the maximum number of elements so that it can be the success we're hoping for. The minister said last week that "things shouldn't be rushed." We're not tied to a particular time-frame. We're liaising with our partners and having consultations. But there are no particular time constraints. The important thing, I repeat, is to make sure that the exercise is useful.

Q - Consultations take time given the number of problematic issues which were enumerated by the minister yesterday.

The idea for this conference cropped up again suddenly in the last few days. Consultations are starting. Let's not lock ourselves into a long or short time-frame.

Q - About the minister's interview on France Inter. Am I to understand that France thinks an eventual international withdrawal, an American withdrawal especially, should be on the agenda of the major conference being proposed on the Middle East?

As I said, the minister is going to be speaking on RMC-MO. Again, I don't want to anticipate what he says. If you look at what he said yesterday, it's very clear. He said there are a number of issues on the agenda. He said there's a political process deriving from SCR 1546. This process is based on several stages: elections, the Constitution, the referendum on the Constitution. All that is already provided for in the texts, but the texts also anticipate that at some point or other, the presence of the multinational forces will have to be addressed. So I'm only stating the obvious. But, it's very important for you to see that in the minister's thinking, this is not a precondition. It's not a matter of taking decisions on that in the next few weeks, but of keeping the question in mind since it's part of the broader picture.

Q - Would a debate on the presence of the multinational force be on the conference agenda or will it be taken up elsewhere, in another context, later?

The minister said that all these questions are part of the political agenda, and this conference must have all these issues on its agenda.

Q - The minister also wants people who are part of the Iraqi resistance to be invited to the table. So whom do you invite? The abductors, the kidnappers etc., those who snatch people sitting at their table, or do you invite people who say they fight during the day but sleep at night? How do you make the distinction? Because it's chaotic.

We've said all along, not just yesterday, that the political process has to be as inclusive as possible and should therefore be extended to all those who reject violence. Who reject it even if in the past they had gone in for violence to a greater or lesser degree, but are now clearly taking a position in favor of a legalist framework for political action not violence. It seems to us that all those people should naturally participate so that, I repeat, we have as broad a process as possible.

Q - The minister himself said the political groups which are part of the armed resistance.

If they choose to enter into a political process, then they've rejected the path of violence. There's a limit, a distinction, even so.

Q - Can't that give rise to all kinds of interpretations? That's why we're asking you to clarify your position?

The position is clear. Anyone who, on the day of the conference, agrees to join the political exercise, therefore renouncing what they've done in the past, should naturally participate.

Q - But aren't you worried about the conference being a fake, empty talk before the US elections?

The question doesn't come up in those terms. Once again, our concern is to make sure that the meeting is useful. An effective meeting, that's the message. You've seen the words used by the minister, "chaos, a black hole." We have to gradually pull Iraq out of that situation. And it can only be done through a political process, consequently by making sure that the political process is as effective as possible.

(...)

Source: French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, http://www.diplomatie.fr.

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