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Envoy roots for better bilateral ties...
2008-07-11 09:46:08
By Ley Mlelwa, KIU
French Ambassador to Tanzania Jacques Champagne de Labriolle has assured Dar es Salaam of improved bilateral relations.
The envoy sounded the assurance at a news briefing in Dar es Salaam, where he fielded questions on various issues including the Zimbabwe political turmoil.
Labriolle said the fact that France was now holding the presidency of the European Union (EU) and Tanzania was the chair of the African Union (AU) was an opportunity for the two countries to work closer together and share experiences on the handling of various issues.
The ambassador said under his leadership, the embassy would build a framework for working together on agendas concerning the two countries.
``We need to give a special push to Cotonou Convention articles and dialogue, which is the framework for political partnership and is very different from a donor-recipient relationship,`` he said.
Labriolle said during France`s presidency, expected to last for 18 months, his embassy would push all the European Commission agendas, especially implementation of the joint Africa-EU strategy and its first action plan (2008-10) which were adopted last December.
Additionally, he said, the embassy would organize seminars on the improvement of health protection, with special emphasis on financial medical care and health coverage.
He said another local priority area was to improve the country`s traditions and development.
``This is an illustration of our engagement in the cultural sector working group of donor countries,`` said the diplomat.
He said the French embassy would also improve regional integration by organizing trips to refugee camps in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Responding to a question on Zimbabwe, the ambassador said his government supported the action taken by EU member countries on solving the conflict in the country.
``We do support the action taken by EU countries to solve the Zimbabwe conflict, although some countries have refused to support us…we shall make it,`` he said.
He mentioned some of the countries which refused to support the EU stance as China and Russia. Labriolle repeated a call on the international community to intervene in the Zimbabwe political crisis.
``The international community should intervene this is an issue of international concern,`` he insisted.
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