STATEMENT BY THE SPOKESPERSON

FRANCE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

July 15, 2002

Excerpt

Hans Blix, Executive Chairman of the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission [UNMOVIC], will visit France on July 16 and 17. Mr. Blix will have talks with Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin on Tuesday, July 16 at 4:15 p.m. He will also have a meeting with Defense Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie on Wednesday, July 17.  

At these meetings, Mr. Blix, who was present at the latest meeting between the UN. secretary-general and Iraq's foreign minister in Vienna on July 4 and 5, will brief the French authorities on relations between Iraq and the United Nations, especially with regard to the inspectors' returning to Iraq. Mr. de Villepin will reiterate our constant position in this regard as he did on his recent visits to the Middle East, Russia and the United States. France expects the Iraqi leaders to quickly authorize the return of the inspectors in the conditions stated by the Security Council. In recalling this position, the French authorities are bearing in mind two top goals, in the framework of the Security Council's resolutions: regional security and stability, and improvement in the situation of the Iraqi people.