STATEMENT BY THE SPOKESPERSON

FRENCH MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

April 11, 2003

Q - Are France and Russia ready to erase Iraq's debt of about $8 billion to them, as Mr. Wolfovitz has urged in very strong terms ?

You'll have noted that since the start of the Iraqi businesses, the French authorities have refrained from any polemical remarks. I've no intention today of fueling the polemics any more than yesterday or tomorrow.

Q - Does France intend to erase Iraq's debt ?

You're referring to comments by a US official. France does not make a practice of engaging in polemics, nor of responding to such, and I will continue that practice today. I can add that questions of debt are addressed in a multilateral framework. As France is currently president of the Paris Club, you will understand that we are obliged to exercise a certain reserve.

Q - When Mr. de Villepin speaks of a central role for the UN in Iraq, what does he mean ?

It is premature to enter into details on what the central role of the UN might be at this time. The organization of Iraq's reconstruction must be ambitious-reconstruction at the administrative, political, social and economic levels, the challenges are enormous. It's essential to mobilize the help. First of all, there's a humanitarian emergency now which we're seeing on the ground, and the UN is already working on that. Resolution 1472 shows that it has a central role. So the first elements of response are on the humanitarian front. Then there will be the phase of securing the country. Efforts to make at least part of Iraq safe and secure have already been started, I believe. This must be completed to ensure Iraq's unity and integrity, and the safety of the people. So there's a lot of work when we're talking about reconstruction. The United Nations, which is the body conferring international legitimacy, cannot be ignored. That's why we speak of its central role. So we're saying at this point that one, there's the humanitarian aspect ; two, the phase of securing the country ; and three, that in the meantime issues of reconstruction will also have to be addressed. Perhaps on certain selective matters, we may have to take certain necessary pragmatic measures in the same spirit which led us to adopt resolution 1472 ; at least that's what we hope.

Q - About making the country safe. We've been watching scenes of looting. Does France intend to send a continent to Iraq to help the American and British who are swamped or apparently don't have enough men to engage in maintaining order ?

The day we receive a request, we would consider it. But the question hasn't come for the time being.

Q - Does France consider the phase of securing the country to be incumbent exclusively on the British and Americans and the UN at all ?

We save said that it is a responsibility incumbent on the troops present on the ground.

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Q - What's going to happen about embargo ? Are the inspectors going to return to Iraq to note the non-existence of weapons of mass destruction ? Does that require a resolution ?

It is one of the questions I've already indicated could come up at some point or other and which we hope to address in the spirit that led to 1472.

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Q - What's happening with Iraqi diplomats in Paris since Saddam Hussein's regime in Baghdad collapsed ? Do you still consider they represent Iraq ?

I would remind you that France has not had diplomatic relations with Iraq since 1991. There is a French interests section in Baghdad at the Romanian embassy. There is an Iraqi interests section in Paris at the Moroccan embassy.

Q - With a chargé d'affaires ?

With an interests section head, not a chargé d'affaires. That's the framework for our relations and in which we shall assess the measures to take to take in to account the present changes in Iraq.

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Q - Have you discussed the UN role with Kofi Annan ? Is he in line with the French government ?

We're having contacts with Kofi Annan again very soon, next week, at head of state/government level. It's my impression it could be put a little differently. It is we who support Kofi Annan. Not Kofi Annan who supports us, we support him. Mr. Annan's job is to embody, to speak for all the countries in the world since the UN is a global organization. He's fulfilling this task as well as he can. He has our confidence, and we consider that one can do no better than support him. That guides us in our ideas in this context.

Q - In your view, is he taking the same positions as Russia, France and Germany or is he less hesitant, less sure and firm in this position ? According to him, what's the UN's role in Iraq ?

First of all, it's a question to ask him. I don't speak for him. I believe that he is still trying--because he's very much a professional with long experience at the UN, he has the confidence of every country in the world-to arrive at a synthesis, that's his duty and it's this synthesis which seems to us a resolute support. That's the starting point. Various officials at the UN have indicated a number of principles that they believe should be respected for the UN to get involved in resolving the Iraq crisis. These are principles that make sense.

Q - Are you worried about the warnings to Syria from several officials in Washington ? Are you urging the US to exercise restraint ?

The minister is going to the region. He will certainly have occasion, I don't doubt, to comment on this as on many other points.