GERMANY: German government calls French President Jacques Chirac's nuclear deterrent "a continuation of French nuclear policy".

Record ID: 687555

  • Title: GERMANY: German government calls French President Jacques Chirac's nuclear deterrent "a continuation of French nuclear policy".
  • Date: 21st January 2006
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (German) THOMAS STEG, DEPUTY GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAYING (ON CHIRAC): "The German government considers his (Chirac's) keynote address this week as a continuation of French nuclear policy. The president stressed in his speech that the known French nuclear doctrine has not changed, that nuclear weapons for France are not a war instrument but rather that they should exclusively be used as a deterrent." REPORTER LISTENING WIDE OF PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (German) THOMAS STEG, DEPUTY GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAYING (ON IRAN): "Regarding Iran, I think there is no doubt that France, in close cooperation with Great Britain and Germany forming the EU3, represents a concerted position. So there is no disagreement with France as far as Iran is concerned and no reason to believe that this common position would change." WIDE OF REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (German) THOMAS STEG, DEPUTY GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAYING (ON BIN LADEN AUDIO MESSAGE): "The message shows that threats from international Islamic terrorism continue to exist, that the danger has not gone away and that the international community remains to be faced with the challenge of fighting the dangers of international Islamic terrorism." REPORTERS TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (German) THOMAS STEG, DEPUTY GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAYING (ON BIN LADEN AUDIO MESSAGE): "Whatever Osama bin Laden offers on a truce or a truce agreement, they are completely unimaginable. Terrorists are not negotiating partners for the democratic world." WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 5th February 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: International Relations,Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVAG19KWEL1UY7ISH7B9F87OUJV
  • Story Text: Germany's deputy government spokesman told reporters in Berlin on Friday (January 20) that French President Jacques Chirac's remarks on using nuclear weapons against any state that carried out a terrorist attack against France was "a continuation of French nuclear policy."
    Thomas Steg said at a regular government news conference that "the president stressed in his speech that the known French nuclear doctrine has not changed, that nuclear weapons for France are not a war instrument but rather that they should exclusively be used as a deterrent."
    France said on Thursday it would be ready to use nuclear weapons against any state that carried out a terrorist attack against it, reaffirming the need for its nuclear deterrent.
    Regarding Iran, Steg said "I think there is no doubt that France, in close cooperation with Great Britain and Germany forming the EU3, represents a concerted position."
    "So there is no disagreement with France as far as Iran is concerned and no reason to believe that this common position would change."
    The deputy government spokesman also responded to an audio tape attributed to Osama bin Laden aired on Arabic television stations.
    "The message shows that threats from international Islamic terrorism continue to exist, that the danger has not gone away and that the international community remains to be faced with the challenge of fighting the dangers of international Islamic terrorism."
    Steg added that "whatever Osama bin Laden' offers on a truce or a truce agreement, they are completely unimaginable. Terrorists are not negotiating partners for the democratic world," he said.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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