FOREIGN SECRETARY: We have discussed quite a number of bilateral issues. Just before I get on to those, I would like to repeat what I said in my short speech at the Grand Palais, which was to place on record the shock I felt at the news of the knife attack on the Mayor of Paris, Mr Bertrand Delanoe, and to ask that our concerns be expressed to him. And although there is not confirmation of this, we also talked about the nature of the collision of the French tanker which has taken place outside the Yemen.

On bilateral matters, I would like to underline our gratitude to the French government for the very cooperative approach which has been taken on some particularly difficult issues, including Sangatte, where my colleague David Blunkett is in the lead, and the lifting of the beef ban. And these two, amongst many others, I think are indicative of the strength and depth of the relationship between our two countries.

As Dominique said, we then moved on to discuss wider issues of mutual concern. On Iraq, again to underline what Dominique de Villepin said, we are agreed about the objective, which has to be the disarmament of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and an end to the defiance by Iraq of the United Nations. They are in serious breach of a series of United Nations obligations, they do represent a threat, we want to see a peaceful diplomatic solution to the threat posed by Iraq and to its disarmament of weapons of mass destruction, but we are also faced with a reality that sometimes effective diplomacy has to be backed by the threat of force.

We discussed the situation in the Middle East, including the latest incursions into Gaza. We have not had full details about those, but the news that I have heard greatly disturbs me. We all understand Israel’s need for security and respect that. At the same time there is no justification for over-reactions which cause unnecessary loss of life. And we want to see, as my Prime Minster expressed just six days ago, a greater degree of imperative to finding a solution between Israel and the Palestinians, in particular a starting of the final status talks before the end of this year.

We went on to discuss the issue of India and Pakistan, on which Dominique and I take a particularly close personal interest; and Africa, where again I am extremely grateful to Dominique and to his predecessor for the cooperation which has been built up over a period where there is now British-French cooperation in our approach to Africa, which I believe is helping to change the climate of opinion and bring forth solutions, particularly in the Great Lakes.

Finally, I expressed our appreciation to the French government for the very prompt action of the French forces in the Ce´te d'Ivoire in helping to release British people who were detained there and to say that we stand ready to do whatever we can to assist the French government in its efforts to stabilise the situation in the Ivory Coast.

QUESTION: Foreign Secretary, you are going to Cairo at a time when President Mubarak has been warning against the great risks of a military action against Iraq, and I think that is also the attitude of France, and against the repercussions in the region. What would you say about this?

FOREIGN SECRETARY: What I will be discussing with President Mubarak when I meet him is what we want to achieve, which I think is widely shared across the Arab region: namely a removal of the threat posed by Saddam Hussein by his unauthorised illegal weapons of mass destruction within the context of international law, and an end to his defiance of the clear Chapter 7 decisions of the United Nations. That is the issue and it is an issue above all for the neighbours of Saddam. Don't forget that over the last 20 years he has invaded two of his neighbours and he has launched missile attacks on five altogether, and the greatest threat he poses is to his region.