FRANCE: President Nicolas Sarkozy says it was not possible to mediate with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, even as Russia said it was ready to help negotiate his exit

Record ID: 836680

  • Title: FRANCE: President Nicolas Sarkozy says it was not possible to mediate with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, even as Russia said it was ready to help negotiate his exit
  • Date: 28th May 2011
  • Summary: DEAUVILLE, FRANCE (MAY 27, 2011) (REUTERS) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY ARRIVING AT G8 NEWS CONFERENCE SARKOZY SPEAKING AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY SAYING: "Mr Gaddafi's personal situation is in his hands. He leaves, and he allows the Libyan people to avoid the suffering. If he is stubborn, then he will personally pay the consequences." SARKOZY SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY, SAYING: "When words have a meaning, what does 'mediation' mean? There is no mediation possible with Mr. Gaddafi. Mr. Gaddafi's soldiers must return to their barracks and Mr. Gaddafi must leave. We can discuss the conditions of that departure. With honour, in which country, yes. That can obviously be discussed." SARKOZY SPEAKING AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY, SAYING: "The situation is perfectly unacceptable. And the attitude of those in power is shocking. The terms retained in the declaration of the G8 have no ambiguity in the condemnation of the actions taken by Syrian authorities regarding peaceful protesters." FRENCH FOREING MINISTER ALAIN JUPPE LISTENING SARKOZY SPEAKING AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY, SAYING: "We believe that the Palestinian reconciliation is good news. We believe there is an opportunity to unblock the situation and that above all, there is urgency to do so. Because Arab revolutions - democracy in certain Arab countries - give peace an opportunity because democracies, and this is one of their characteristics, go not go to war with each other." SARKOZY TAKING QUESTIONS FROM JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY, SAYING "Yes, of course, in the bilaterals, we spoke about that. To say what? Our complete, total and unambiguous support for the euro, to its stability and to its credibility. For a long time, us French and Germans have said that the euro is not negotiable because the euro is Europe." VARIOUS OF SARKOZY TAKING A QUESTION VARIOUS OF JOURNALIST ASKING SARKOZY A QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY, SAYING "If there is restructuring, then that means a European country doesn't need to pay back its debts. Then that is a word which will not be a part of France's vocabulary. It's clear and simple." VARIOUS OF JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY, SAYING "On Iran, it's very clear. Iran has clearly attempted to profit from positive Arab news, to try to make us forget its inexorable march towards military nuclear power - a march which is perfectly unacceptable. We spoke about it in depth, and we will take new measures to again, reinforce sanctions." VARIOUS OF JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION VARIOUS OF SARKOZY LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 12th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France, France
  • City:
  • Country: France
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA8IW1GI3H4PA0LTMYFRW77951W
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday (May 27) said it was not possible to mediate with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, even as Russia said it was ready to help negotiate his exit.
    Sarkozy told a news briefing at a Group of Eight summit in the northern French seaside town of Deauville, that Gaddafi must leave and that the conditions of his departure could be discussed.
    "Mr Gaddafi's personal situation is in his hands. He leaves, and he allows the Libyan people to avoid the suffering. If he is stubborn, then he will personally pay the consequences," Sarkozy said.
    "There is no mediation possible with Mr. Gaddafi. Mr. Gaddafi's soldiers must return to their barracks and Mr. Gaddafi must leave. We can discuss the conditions of that departure. With honour, in which country, yes. That can obviously be discussed," he added.
    Sarkozy condemned Syrian authorities, saying violence against protesters was unacceptable.
    "The situation is perfectly unacceptable. And the attitude of those in power is shocking. The terms retained in the declaration of the G8 have no ambiguity in the condemnation of the actions taken by Syrian authorities regarding peaceful protesters," he said.
    The French President spoke about the urgency of resolving the Middle East conflict.
    "We believe that the Palestinian reconciliation is good news. We believe there is an opportunity to unblock the situation and that above all, there is urgency to do so," he said.
    Quizzed about Greece's debt woes, Sarkozy said countries must repay their debts but if the private sector shared the burden, such a solution would not count as restructuring.
    "If there is restructuring, then that means a European country doesn't need to pay back its debts. Then that is a word which will not be a part of France's vocabulary. It's clear and simple," he told journalists.
    Sarkozy also said new sanctions would be taken against Iran, accusing it of taking advantage of the Arab Spring to press ahead with its nuclear programme.
    Sarkozy said the leaders had determined that Iran had used the uprisings in the Arab world to continue what Western countries believe is a programme to develop nuclear weapons -- a charge Tehran denies.
    "Iran has clearly attempted to profit from positive Arab news, to try to make us forget its inexorable march towards military nuclear power - a march which is perfectly unacceptable. We spoke about it in depth, and we will take new measures to again, reinforce sanctions," Sarkozy said.
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