Diplomatie.gouv.fr (en)

The 7th Choose France Summit was held on Monday, 13 May 2024 at the Château de Versailles with the theme “France, Land of Champions”.

France voices its concern following the arrest of the lawyer and journalist Sonia Dahmani, in the context of other people – especially journalists and members of voluntary organizations – being arrested or stopped for questioning. Freedom of expression and freedom of association, along with an independent judicial system and the rights of the defence, are principles guaranteed under Tunisia's constitution and the United Nations conventions to which Tunisia and France have (…)

France strongly condemns the demonstrations targeting UNRWA's office in East Jerusalem, which occurred on 9 May. France calls on Israel to shoulder its responsibility to protect UNRWA's personnel and infrastructure, and allow it to reopen as soon as possible. The UN must be able to carry out its mandate in the Palestinian Territories. The perpetrators of these attacks must be held accountable for their actions before the courts. France recalls the absolute urgency of guaranteeing a massive (…)

France deplores the launch on 7 May of an Israeli-army military operation in Rafah. As France has already emphasized, such an operation threatens to cause a disastrous situation for Gaza's civilian populations, who have already been repeatedly displaced. Civilians have no safe area in Gaza today. We call on the Israeli authorities to stop this military operation without delay and resume the path of negotiations, the only way possible to bring about the hostages' immediate release and secure a (…)

On Thursday 9 May the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, through its Crisis and Support Centre, delivered nearly two tonnes of medicines to Lebanon to meet emergency and general – especially paediatric – medical needs. These medicines are being provided by the voluntary organization Tulipe and its member healthcare companies. The French Embassy will hand these medical kits to the voluntary organization Chevaliers de l'Ordre de Malte in Lebanon and the Lebanese NGO Amel. In response to (…)

Q : At the speech he gave at yesterday's CRIF* dinner, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal had not a word to spare for the Palestinian victims while justifying Israel's “overreactions,” saying that they could not be considered overreactions and implying that they were legitimate. At the same event, government spokesperson Prisca Thévenot was all smiles with former IDF spokesperson Julien Bahloul while the Israeli army was bombarding Rafah and seizing control of the border crossing with Egypt. Is this (…)

Two years ago today, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris were arbitrarily arrested by the Islamic Republic of Iran, as were another two French citizens, one of whom is Louis Arnaud, a year and a half ago. France condemns this policy of state hostage-taking and ongoing blackmail by the Iranian authorities. France denounces the Islamic Republic's despicable practice of forced and public confessions, as well as the inhumane and appalling conditions in which our compatriots are being held. We hold (…)

France utterly condemns the attack on an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) humanitarian convoy in South Darfur, which killed two people and injured three. It extends its condolences to the bereaved and wishes the injured a speedy recovery. France calls on all the parties to the conflict to meet their obligations under international humanitarian law, which requires them to protect humanitarian and health workers and guarantee full, safe, unhindered humanitarian (…)

Q : Comment réagissez-vous à l'annonce d'Israël d'encourager les personnes présentes dans l'est de la ville de Rafah à rejoindre des zones humanitaires ? A : France reiterates its strong opposition to an Israeli offensive on Rafah, where over 1.3 million people have taken refuge at a time of great distress. The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs repeated this message during his trip to Israel last week and the President of France shared the same statement with the Israeli Prime Minister (…)