Better Late than Never: French Foreign Minister Visits Baghdad

[onedomino]

Perhaps Sarkozy really is interested in improving relations with Washington:

French Foreign Minister Makes Surprise Trip to Baghdad
AP, NYT Published: August 19, 2007

complete article: http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/19/news/iraq.php

BAGHDAD: Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, arrived in Baghdad on Sunday on the highest-level visit by a French official to Iraq since the 2003 invasion.

The French Foreign Ministry said the surprise trip by Kouchner, a former United Nations administrator for Kosovo and co-founder of the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, was at the invitation of Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani. A ministry statement said he was there "to express a French message of solidarity with the Iraqi people and to listen to the representatives of all communities."

In 2003, then-President Jacques Chirac of France led international opposition to the Iraq war and was vocal in his criticism of U.S. policy, straining relations with Washington. However, his successor, Nicolas Sarkozy, has sought to rebuild relations since his election as president in May.

The visit was welcomed by Gordon Johndroe, a White House spokesman.

"This is one more example, along with the new UN mandate, the neighbors conference process and recent announcements by Saudi Arabia to open an embassy and forgive Saddam-era debt, of a growing international desire to help Iraq become a stable and secure country," Johndroe said.

 

[padisha emperor]

It's sure that The president Nicolas Sarkozy wants to improve the US-France relationships.

he never hide it, he likes USA. He's more liberal than Chirac, the former president, on a economical point of view.

But one thing : he's also for improving the EU (see the "minitreaty" about the Constitution).

And the travel of Kouchner doesn't mean that France will change about the Iraq crisis. Bernard Kouchner went to Iraq because it's a real mess, a real hell. so the french diplomacy has to went here. Kouchner has also a great experience of the troubles zones, the quotation above said it. He was UN administrator in Kosovo and made a good job here for the UN. He is the co-foundator of a world wide humanitary associations. So he was the best person for this travel in a destroyed country.