FRANCE: U.S SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT HAS TALKS WITH PRESIDENT CHIRAC AND E.U. MINISTERS OVER YUGOSLAVIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST UNREST

Record ID: 636799

  • Title: FRANCE: U.S SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT HAS TALKS WITH PRESIDENT CHIRAC AND E.U. MINISTERS OVER YUGOSLAVIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST UNREST
  • Date: 2nd October 2000
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (2 OCTOBER 2000) (AGENCY POOL) GV EXTERIOR ELYSEE PALACE CLOSE UP, FRENCH FLAG SLV U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT ARRIVES SMV MADELEINE ALBRIGHT BEING RECEIVED AT THE ELYSEE PALACE WIDE OF MADELEINE ALBRIGHT SEATED WITH FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC VARIOUS, ALBRIGHT AND CHIRAC TALKING (4 SHOTS) WIDE OF MEETING SLV MADELEINE ALBRIGHT LEAVES ELYSEE PALACE AND SHAKING HANDS WITH CHIRAC CUTAWAY TFI JOURNALIST OUTSIDE ELYSEE PALACE SCU (SOUNDBITE) (French) JACQUES CHIRAC SAYING: "We are stunned and very worried by this surge of violence. At the start, last Thursday, an irresponsible provocation on the sacred site of the Mosque, and after that a predictable development: dozens of dead, hundreds of injured, and the questioning of a peace process that was possibly on the road for the first time in an almost reversible fashion." CUTAWAY JOURNALISTS OUTSIDE ELYSEE PALACE SCU (SOUNDBITE) (French) JACQUES CHIRAC SAYING: "I want everyone to understand that we don't fight a people's emotion with tanks and that a process where reason prevails must be established." WIDE OF JACQUES CHIRAC ACCOMPANIES MADELEINE ALBRIGHT TO HER CAR WIDE OF EXTERIOR FOREIGN MINISTRY SMV MADELEINE ALBRIGHT SHAKING HANDS WITH FOREIGN MINISTER HUBERT VEDRINE VARIOUS OF MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, HUBERT VEDRINE AND E.U MINISTERS AT ROUND TABLE SMV E.U. MINISTERS INCLUDING BRITISH MINISTER CHRIS PATTEN (THIRD FROM LEFT) SMV ALBRIGHT WITH MINISTERS IN MEETING SMV MADELEINE ALBRIGHT AND HUBERT VEDRINE ARRIVING AT PRESS CONFERENCE WIDE OF PRESS CONFERENCE SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) MADELEINE ALBRIGHT SAYING: "We began our meeting today by discussing the evolving situation in Yugoslavia and we agreed that all credible evidence shows that Kustunica won the election on September 24. The US and the EU have already indicated their willingness to lift sanctions once a democratically elected government takes office in Belgrade and we discussed how we would engage with a democratic Yugoslavia on reconstruction and economic development and we agreed on the need to do so quickly and substantially. I also reviewed with my counterpart the status of the Middle East peace process. We are very concerned about the violence that has taken place. It is counterproductive to the peace process and I have spoken with Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-ami and with chairman Arafat. We discussed the importance of restraint and the danger of a cycle of violence developing. We are at a very delicate stage in the talks and I think it is absolutely essential that the violence stop." SCU (SOUNDBITE) (French) HUBERT VEDRINE SAYING: "There is a global convergence between Russia, the US and the European Union to the extent that Russia as well supports the democratic change in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Russian government entertains no special indulgence or complacency towards president Milosevic and his regime." SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) MADELEINE ALBRIGHT SAYING: "I have said and will continue to say that he (Milosevic) belongs in the Hague, and any other speculation is not called for. I think that he is an indicted war criminal, we have said that he belongs in the Hague, and there is no statute of limitation." WIDE OF PRESS CONFERENCE SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) MADELEINE ALBRIGHT SAYING: "The most important point here is the leaders themselves are the only ones who can make the hard decisions. That's what we should concentrate on now, we should concentrate on lowering the temperature and dealing with this violence and they need to concentrate on the hard decisions that have to be made." WIDE OF MEDIA CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 17th October 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA7JU9NUM4240EYO6T94LZQU42Y
  • Story Text: The United States and France appealed for the
    reestablishment of peace negotiations in the Middle East when
    U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was in Paris for
    talks on Tuesday (October 2, 2000).

    The situation in Yugoslavia following the recent elections
    was also discussed, with both sides expressing concern that
    the apparent opposition party win was not being honoured by
    the Milosevic government.



    Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, on a visit to
    Paris for a US-European Union ministers meeting, met French
    President Jacques Chirac and Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine
    on Monday (October 2).

    Speaking after his meeting, President Chirac called
    Israeli politician Ariel Sharon's visit to Jerusalem last
    Thursday an irresponsible provocation. "I want everyone to
    understand that we don't fight a peoples emotion with tanks
    and that a process where reason prevails must be established,"
    he told reporters.

    Albright and French Foreign Minister Vedrine gave a joint
    news conference after their meeting and insisted on the need
    for the world to recognize the victory of the opposition on
    the 24 September elections in Yugoslavia.

    Albright was firm in her demands for the apparent
    opposition win to be honoured: "We began our meeting today by
    discussing the evolving situation in Yugoslavia and we agreed
    that all credible evidence shows that Kustunica won the
    election on September 24. The US and the EU have already
    indicated their willingness to lift sanctions once a
    democratically elected government takes office in Belgrade and
    we discussed how we would engage with a democratic Yugoslavia
    on reconstruction and economic development and we agreed on
    the need to do so quickly and substantially. "
    Vedrine added: "There is a global convergence between
    Russia, the US and the European Union to the extent that
    Russia as well supports the democratic change in the Federal
    Republic of Yugoslavia. The Russian government entertains no
    special indulgence or complacency towards president
    Milosevic and his regime."
    Secretary of State Albright was strong in her condemnation
    of President Milosevic holding on to power in Yugoslavia: "I
    have said and will continue to say that he (Milosevic) belongs
    in the Hague, and any other speculation is not called for. I
    think that he is an indicted war criminal, we have said that
    he belongs in the Hague, and there is no statute of
    limitation."
    Speaking of the events in the Middle East in recent days,
    both the US and French delegations were worried about the
    escalation of violence jeopardising the future of the peace
    process,
    "The most important point here is the leaders themselves
    are the only ones who can make the hard decisions. That's what
    we should concentrate on now, we should concentrate on
    lowering the temperature and dealing with this violence and
    they need to concentrate on the hard decisions that have to be
    made," Albright said.


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