Jordan – Meeting between Mme Chrysoula Zacharopoulou and her Jordanian counterpart (Mar. 21, 2023)

Mme Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, hosted a meeting with her Jordanian counterpart, Ms Zeina Toukan, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Mme Zacharopoulou and Ms Toukan expressed their intention to step up cooperation between France and Jordan in many fields, including access to water and sanitation, the fight against climate change, and support for social cohesion and gender equality. The Minister of State and her counterpart signed a declaration of intent about Franco-Jordanian cooperation on development, through which France, via the French Development Agency (AFD), renews its support to Jordan for the financing of public policies, infrastructure and priority projects for the country over the period 2023-2026.

France and Jordan maintain a long-standing partnership based on a relationship of trust and friendship, as President Macron emphasized to King Abdullah II during his visit to Jordan on December 20 and 21, 2022. France and Jordan maintain close coordination on regional crises and work together towards their resolution, including in the framework of the Baghdad Conference, the second of which Jordan hosted on 20 December 2022. Minister Catherine Colonna also had the opportunity to discuss this with her Jordanian counterpart, Dr Ayman Al-Safadi, at the Munich Security Conference last month.

Mme Chrysoula Zacharopoulou repeated that France stands by Jordan, whose stability is essential in a troubled regional and international environment. Mme Zacharopoulou also paid tribute to the generosity Jordan is showing by hosting Palestinian and Syrian refugees on its territory, and reiterated France’s support for the Hashemite Kingdom in this regard.

Environment – France welcomes IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Cycle report on the climate (Mar. 20, 2023)

France welcomes the publication on March 20, 2023 of the IPCC report that concludes its Sixth Assessment Cycle, and reaffirms the urgency of taking action to achieve the Paris Agreement targets, both in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change.

The report confirms that the global temperature increase is accelerating: it will reach 1.5°C around 2030 and could then exceed 2°C if countries do not speed up their emissions reduction efforts. However, the IPCC recalls that it is still possible to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels if global greenhouse gas emissions peak before 2025 and if emissions fall rapidly thereafter. We have the necessary knowledge and resources to act collectively now.

At COP28 in Dubai, countries will have to grasp the full extent of this emergency and these scientific findings and increase their ambition when it comes to taking stock of the Paris Agreement. International funding for the energy transition is crucial in this regard and is a central issue for France, which is one of the main contributors to international climate finance, mobilizing €6 billion a year in developing countries. Ahead of the COP, on President Macron’s initiative, France will host a summit in Paris on June 22 and 23 on the fight against inequalities and on climate finance.

Yemen – Release of prisoners (Mar. 20, 2023)

France welcomes the agreement on the release of nearly 900 prisoners linked to the war in Yemen, negotiated under the aegis of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. It is a positive step.

France will be vigilant as regards the implementation of the agreement, and calls for progress along the path of full implementation of the commitments by the parties. It calls for continued international efforts towards a lasting peace, which can come only thanks to a political solution between the Yemeni Government and the Houthis.

France calls on the parties, first and foremost the Houthis, to immediately resume negotiations under the aegis of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Mr Hans Grundberg, for a lasting peace in Yemen.

Israel/Palestinian Territories

Do you have any reaction to the remarks by Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich in Paris?

The comments by Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich denying the existence of the Palestinian people are shameful and irresponsible. We call on people who have been called to high office in the Israeli Government to show the required dignity, respect the dignity of others and refrain from any actions or statements that contribute to escalating tensions.