We hope that the new government will succeed and that it will be able to organize, under the best possible conditions, the presidential elections that are vital for Tunisia. France stands and will stand alongside Tunisia in this critical period of its history.
France is delighted by the decision by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, to send a mission to Tunisia. This mission, composed of high-level experts - human rights specialists - began its work on the ground on January 27. We are lending it financial support.
France welcomes the fact that this initiative was taken in collaboration with Tunisia’s transitional authorities.
France wishes the mission of the High Commissioner for Human Rights every success. This mission should lead to concrete initiatives with a view towards helping Tunisia make progress on the path towards democracy.
Are you satisfied by the expulsion of the former Prime Minister and by the new government?
We welcome the new government. It’s not a question of whether we are satisfied with the new government. Rather, it’s up to the Tunisians to express their level of satisfaction. […] On the other hand, we hope that this government will be able to make preparations for the upcoming elections and with this in mind we reaffirm – as the French authorities have been reaffirming over the last few days and as Mrs. Alliot-Marie herself reaffirmed – our position and our mobilization alongside the Tunisians in this period that is obviously vital for the country.
A French delegation went to Algiers this week where the two parties discussed the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region. Do you have any more information? What topics were discussed?
I understand that it was the Major-General that went to Algiers. Please refer to the Ministry of Defense.
The visit took place just after the transfer of the French hostages reported in the media. Was this transfer the main focus of this visit?
Regarding the hostages, I want to remind you that we are mobilized. In this respect, the important thing is the effectiveness of our action. We must achieve a result; the objective is the release of our compatriots and in this context one of the key factors is obviously discretion.
I note that Iran is not mentioned at all on the agenda of the European meeting. I thought however that France was pushing for new sanctions.
Does that mean that France will firstly try a new process of sanctions at the UN level before going to the EU?
We are currently discussing this. Regarding this issue, the normal framework for our action and the framework for the clarification of our positions is the 3+3 Group.
After Istanbul last week, we will continue our exchanges with our partners, i.e. the Russians, the Chinese, the Americans, the British, the Germans and Mrs. Ashton, in order to determine the most effective action following what happened – or rather what didn’t happen – in Istanbul.
Is a meeting of the political directors scheduled to take place and if so, when?
Not as far as I know, in any case not an official meeting, since we engage in continuous consultations.