À On his regional tour in the Gulf, Jean-Noël Barrot spoke to BFMTV on Friday, May 1 from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates about the war in the Middle East.
“We must do everything to avoid hostilities resuming, everyone has seen since the beginning of this war (…) the risks of escalation are extremely high and carry major consequences for the global economy,” he declared.
These remarks come as Donald Trump and the Pentagon communicate on “a new military attack plan against Iran.”
“A radical change in posture”
According to the French Foreign Minister, the belligerents should take advantage of the ceasefire period to continue peace talks. “Negotiations must begin for the Iranian regime to concede a radical change in posture, make major concessions to coexist peacefully with its regional environment, and for its people to freely build their future.”
In mid-April, several “non-belligerent” countries, including France and the United Kingdom, had expressed readiness to establish “a neutral mission” to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Jean-Noël Barrot told BFMTV that work was continuing.
“Several dozen countries will likely contribute very concretely to deploying capabilities for mine clearance or escorting ships on site. This work is underway, planning is being finalized so that we can be ready to intervene to facilitate traffic when the time comes,” he declared.
The increase in bilateral relations in the Gulf
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, who had visited Saudi Arabia the day before and will conclude his tour in the region on Friday in Oman, supports the view that many countries in the region appreciated France’s defensive action in neutralizing drones fired by Iran.
“France’s contribution to protecting these countries, which were not involved and had not requested anything, has been appreciated to the extent that many of them wish to develop even closer relations with our country in the future to enhance the conditions of their sovereignty, defense, and also their economic security,” the minister assured.
Original article published on BFMTV.com
