Bernard Kouchner congratulates George Bush on the “success” of Annapolis
- On November 27 2007, French Foreign minister Bernard Kouchner attended the Middle East Conference in Annapolis.
- Mr Kouchner said during a gathering with a few journalists that U.S. president George Bush played a “very important role” in the talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
- A donors’ conference for the Palestinian authority will be held in Paris on December 17 2007.
Annapolis. Bernard Kouchner (photo ©Jean-Cosme Delaloye) describes himself as an optimist. Speaking with the press right before the end of the Mideast conference on November 27 2007 in Annapolis, the French foreign minister asked the press to stop being pessimistic about the prospects for peace in the Middle East. Mr Kouchner said he found hope in Annapolis for the Palestinian and Israeli peace talks and congratulated George Bush on the “big success” of the conference.
Five days after Israelis and Palestinians officially resume negotiations on December 12 2007, France will organize on December 17 in Paris a donors’ meeting to raise money for the Palestinian Authority and help it build a viable state.
Mr Kouchner, how would you describe what happened in Annapolis on November 27 2007? Was is it a succession of speeches or a real exchange of ideas?
Call it the way you want it. This major event is the beginning of a process that will lead to the creation a Palestinian state. People are now talking to each other.
What can France do in this process?
We are going to organize the Paris conference on December 17 2007. In Paris, we are going to try to make a difference in the Palestinians’ daily life. We hope to raise between $2 billion and $4 billion at the conference. We want to restore the freedom of movement for the Palestinians. If we don’t achieve that, their economy cannot be viable.
Did you talk in Annapolis about U.S. envoy monitoring the negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians?
We did not talk about thw U.S. participation in the committees. There will be three parties in the talks: the Palestinians, the Israelis and the Americans. We now have a dialogue between people, who were unable to reach a deal before.
Do you trust the White House to be able to monitor those talks and to get a peace treaty between Israelis and Palestinians before the end of 2008?
The Annapolis conference was a big success and I do not see why we could not trust the Bush administration. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been going on for 60 years and today something is happening.
Is it true that France convinced Washington to raise the Syrian issue of the Golan Heights and to bring the Syrians to the talks?
Partly yes. We were in favor of Syria coming to the conference. We asked Israelis and Palestinians if they agreed to Syria’s presence. They did and agreed to devote some time on Golan Heights.
What is the price of bringing the Syrians to Annapolis ?
There is no price. We are in favor of peace. Is that a surprise ? There was no price. We believe the Syrians are part of the problem. They must be part of the solution.
Can you tell us about the talks between the Arab States and the Israelis ?
They were very good. Everybody talked to the Israelis.
All the thorny issues such as the Palestinian refugees, had been raised in the Geneva Accord four years ago. Didn’t we waste a lot of time?
We did. But in every war, we wasted time to get peace. Stop being naïve. We have been the witnesses of this war for 60 years and now there is new hope. Israelis and Palestinians agree to create a Palestinian State. It is a decisive moment because before this conference, nobody except for the activists, did agree on that. Before, we had two people but one State. Now there might be a second State. I might be mistaken, but it looks like good news to me.
Are you relieved that the Americans are taking on the sole role as a judge and monitor in this process ?
The Americans are not judges. They are part of the process. And the process will benefit from their presence and their energy.
Jean-Cosme Delaloye / Annapolis
Please read on the same topic “The Annapolis pact: peace in the Middle East by the end of 2008″
Comments
