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CNN Live Event/Special

French, German, Russian Foreign Ministers Speak

Aired March 05, 2003 - 09:14   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news out of Paris. We have just learned that French, German, and Russian foreign ministers say they will not allow a U.N. resolution backing the use of force against Iraq to pass.
Let's listen in on what these foreign ministers have to say.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

DOMINIQUE DE VILLEPIN, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): France, and I said it quite clearly, and I think this appears extremely clearly in our joint declaration. We will shoulder all our responsibilities. In other words, we are on exactly the same line of approach as Russia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): That question wasn't for me, it was for France and Germany.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): (UNINTELLIGIBLE) perhaps he could tell us what -- how Germany would vote if Russia and France were obliged to use their power of veto.

JOSCHKA FISCHER, GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): There is no other way. The effect of a veto inside the Security Council, that know you -- that you know, we can only say the same thing.

It was made clear in the declaration that we would like to see a continuation of a peaceful solution. I'd like you to think about where we stand today. There are real chances for a peaceful disarmament of Iraq, to have complete disarmament. In the Middle East, there is now the opportunity to have a new solution to the whole of the regional conflict between Israel and Palestine, between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

And this is what -- what -- we are all working within the United Nations, Russia, all of us, and what I see in Turkey and the European perspectives in Turkey, what the Turkish parliament has said, we can -- we can see what opportunities Europe would have. And if I imagine that this could also have positive effects on the breakthrough and reforms in Tehran, we can see a new Middle East coming into view, and this is the position we are now in, if there is no war.

If there is a war, we will have to take another position. This is -- we are being so firm in our opinion that we should do everything we possibly could to see for -- that this implementation of this resolution to make sure that the peace process is not broken off. ZAHN: In spite of what you are hearing from the foreign ministers of French -- of France, Germany, and Russia, saying they will not allow a U.N. resolution to pass that authorizes war against Iraq, that does not necessarily mean the second resolution that might be offered as early as next week is dead.

There are a number of people that believe the United States can get to the nine necessary votes. You've got Britain in favor of this resolution, Spain, varying degrees of private support from countries such as Pakistan, Angola, Cameroon, and Guinea. The big question mark now is how Mexico might perceive all of this, and there's heavy-duty lobbying going on now with the officials of the Mexican government to see if the U.S. can get them to back this second resolution. But once again, this is a very important move on behalf of the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Russia, and a move the White House has to be watching with a great deal of concern.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired March 5, 2003 - 09:14   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news out of Paris. We have just learned that French, German, and Russian foreign ministers say they will not allow a U.N. resolution backing the use of force against Iraq to pass.
Let's listen in on what these foreign ministers have to say.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

DOMINIQUE DE VILLEPIN, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): France, and I said it quite clearly, and I think this appears extremely clearly in our joint declaration. We will shoulder all our responsibilities. In other words, we are on exactly the same line of approach as Russia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): That question wasn't for me, it was for France and Germany.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): (UNINTELLIGIBLE) perhaps he could tell us what -- how Germany would vote if Russia and France were obliged to use their power of veto.

JOSCHKA FISCHER, GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): There is no other way. The effect of a veto inside the Security Council, that know you -- that you know, we can only say the same thing.

It was made clear in the declaration that we would like to see a continuation of a peaceful solution. I'd like you to think about where we stand today. There are real chances for a peaceful disarmament of Iraq, to have complete disarmament. In the Middle East, there is now the opportunity to have a new solution to the whole of the regional conflict between Israel and Palestine, between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

And this is what -- what -- we are all working within the United Nations, Russia, all of us, and what I see in Turkey and the European perspectives in Turkey, what the Turkish parliament has said, we can -- we can see what opportunities Europe would have. And if I imagine that this could also have positive effects on the breakthrough and reforms in Tehran, we can see a new Middle East coming into view, and this is the position we are now in, if there is no war.

If there is a war, we will have to take another position. This is -- we are being so firm in our opinion that we should do everything we possibly could to see for -- that this implementation of this resolution to make sure that the peace process is not broken off. ZAHN: In spite of what you are hearing from the foreign ministers of French -- of France, Germany, and Russia, saying they will not allow a U.N. resolution to pass that authorizes war against Iraq, that does not necessarily mean the second resolution that might be offered as early as next week is dead.

There are a number of people that believe the United States can get to the nine necessary votes. You've got Britain in favor of this resolution, Spain, varying degrees of private support from countries such as Pakistan, Angola, Cameroon, and Guinea. The big question mark now is how Mexico might perceive all of this, and there's heavy-duty lobbying going on now with the officials of the Mexican government to see if the U.S. can get them to back this second resolution. But once again, this is a very important move on behalf of the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Russia, and a move the White House has to be watching with a great deal of concern.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com