South Sudan’s admission to the African Union
Guinea – Media freedom
Ukraine – Mining accident
Yemen – Clashes in region of Sanaa
Appointment of Mansour Seif al-Nasr, the Transitional National Council’s special envoy to France
Palestinian Territories – Recognition of the Palestinian State
Egypt
South Sudan’s admission to the African Union
France welcomes South Sudan’s admission to the African Union, thereby becoming the organization’s 54th African member state.
The AU plays a key role in promoting peace and security on the continent, particularly in Darfur and Somalia, where it has deployed peacekeeping missions with UN support. It did a remarkable job in laying the groundwork for the independence of South Sudan and negotiating with the Sudanese government, thanks to the efforts of the African Union High LevelImplementationPanelonSudan headed by President Mbeki.
France encourages the authorities of Sudan and South Sudan to continue these negotiations under the AU’s auspices in order to reach a swift agreement to the negotiations on all terms and conditions governing their relations and cooperation.
Guinea’s National Communications Council has announced the lifting of restrictions on media freedoms. Such a decision is welcome; we are awaiting official confirmation. It seems that calls to respect the freedom of expression and of the press were heeded.
Guinea chose the path of peace and democracy during its latest presidential election. The hope raised by this transition must continue. It is important to bolster Guinean democracy, notably through a calm political dialogue respectful of all parties, through the respect of fundamental rights and freedoms, and by holding legislative elections in the near future.
France stands side-by-side with Guinea in this process.
Ukraine has experienced several mining accidents since late June, and we were saddened to learn that a new accident took place yesterday evening in Lugansk, leaving at least 16 dead and 10 missing.
In this particularly tragic, painful situation, France offers its condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones and expresses its heartfelt solidarity and sympathy to the Ukrainian authorities.
Yemen – Clashes in region of Sanaa
We are very concerned by information pointing to clashes in the region of Sanaa, leading to several dozen deaths.
It is essential for the perpetrators of the current crisis to end the violence, which has gone on for too long and has caused too much suffering.
We call on the Yemenis to swiftly embark on the path of reconciliation in a spirit of national unity and dialogue, on the basis of the GCC initiative whose proposals we unreservedly support, and which remains the only way out of the crisis.
Appointment of Mansour Seif al-Nasr, the Transitional National Council’s special envoy to France
We welcome the appointment of Mansour Seif al-Nasr, the Libyan Transitional National Council’s special envoy to France.
This appointment testifies to the close relationship between France and the TNC and our country’s commitment to the new Libya. It is in line with our country’s recognition of the TNC, the first country to do so.
Ambassador al-Nasr will meet with Alain Juppé on Monday, August 1.
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Palestinian Territories – Recognition of the Palestinian State
Following Alain Juppé’s discussions with the secretary-general of the Arab League, in your statement you speak of an agreement to avoid confrontation.
If the dialogue does not resume and the Palestinians present a text, we know quite well what will happen. To avoid this situation, we said we would remain in close contact with the Arab League. We must work together to avoid a mess in New York.
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Resuming the dialogue will help move things in the right direction. That’s what we have to work on. We have the parameters and we know that the status quo isn’t tenable. Efforts must continue.
The Israeli government is urging young people to live in the settlements, which are less expensive. What does France think about that?
Our position on the settlements hasn’t changed, as you know quite well.
How does France see the current situation in Egypt, particularly with respect to the nomination of Islamists in the upcoming elections?
We don’t comment on domestic politics in other countries. The important thing is for the democratic debate to unfold peacefully, for the elections to unfold democratically. For the first time in a long while, the Egyptians will be able to exercise their right and to decide their own future. Our position is one of support for Egypt, to respect the choice of the Egyptians, to support their economic and social development efforts in line with what was adopted at the G8 summit in Deauville which we will talk about again quite soon at the UN General Assembly.