French envoy spotlights Franco-U.S. ties in Baker Institute address

French envoy spotlights Franco-U.S. ties in Baker Institute address

BY FRANZ BROTZEN
Rice News staff

France’s ambassador to the United States, Pierre Vimont, heralded a new chapter in Franco-U.S. relations during an address at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy March 17.

Vimont, who was appointed to his post by President Nicolas Sarkozy last August, described the new French leader as “dynamic and energetic.” Vimont said Sarkozy took office with the belief that the nature of the relationship between the old allies should change, that they must “try to build a relationship of trust and confidence” after years of public disagreement over foreign policy, commerce and the environment.

GEORGE WONG

From left, France’s ambassador to the United States, Pierre Vimont, meets with Rice President David Leebron and Baker Institute Director Edward Djerejian.

Among the steps Sarkozy has taken to improve relations with the United States, Vimont cited efforts on Iraq, Afghanistan and NATO. After former President Jacques Chirac’s vocal opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Vimont said, Sarkozy has restarted attempts to reconcile feuding sectors of Iraqi society. Sarkozy has also vowed to keep French forces in Afghanistan as long as they are needed, Vimont said, although he hastened to add that France does not view a purely military solution to Afghanistan’s problems as realistic. And France is gradually reintegrating itself into NATO’s integrated military structure, following former President Charles De Gaulle’s decision to withdraw French forces in 1966.
 
Overall, Vimont said, Sarkozy’s goal is to “return France to the mainstream of world affairs and the global economy.”

Vimont also addressed the economic reforms Sarkozy is pursuing. Vimont said France needs to implement work incentives, lower taxation, encourage small and medium enterprises, promote research and development and revamp public administration. Sarkozy has launched his reforms early in his mandate, Vimont said, because he knows such a bold agenda would lose steam if he waited.

While he emphasized France’s new approach to dealing with the United States, Vimont was careful to balance the rapprochement with a policy based on realism. For example, he championed a multilateral approach to persuade Iran to halt its enrichment of uranium. “To convince Iran,” he said, “you need to talk to Brazil and South Africa” because both those countries have abandoned past nuclear weapons programs and because the solution cannot come as an edict from the developed world. Along the same lines, Vimont said the U.N. Security Council must be reformed so that emerging powers can become permanent members. If the Security Council is increasingly seen as a bastion of the developed world, Vimont explained, it risks losing “legitimacy.”

Vimont finished his address with an appeal for tolerance and dialogue on the world stage. “We all want democracy,” he said, “but we need to promote it in the right way.” In the Middle East, that means a thorough analysis that takes into account the “split between moderates and radicals” in each country. He also called for “reciprocity on the freedom of religion,” explaining that France allows the construction of mosques to serve its Muslim population, but demands a similar arrangement for Christians in Muslim nations.

In conclusion, Vimont said the new French government is adopting a new stance that includes a more active global role in places like Chad, where France has pledged to send a peacekeeping force. “If we really want to have our voices heard in world affairs,” he said, “then we have to play our part.”