§ 22. Mr. PurchaseTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of France on relations between the UK and France in West Africa. [84342]
§ Mr. RammellIn September at the UN General Assembly, the Foreign Secretary and his French counterpart, Mr. Dominique De Villepin, jointly hosted a breakfast seminar on "New Partnership for Africa's Development" (NEPAD) with Foreign Ministers from 10 African countries.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last met Mr. De Villepin on 7 October to discuss the strengthening of the St. Malo accord and Franco-British co-operation in Africa. The Foreign Secretary thanked Mr. De Villepin for French assistance in evacuating British nationals caught up in the crisis in Ivory Coast.
This discussion also touched on issues such as further practical co-operation in the areas of conflict management, and the implementation of the peace and security aspects of the G8 Africa Action Plan.
Furthermore, the Foreign Secretary has regular exchanges with Mr. De Villepin on a range of African issues, either by telephone or correspondence.
Our two countries are working together in the United Nations and through the European Union to ensure an holistic and strategic approach by the international community to conflict management in Africa. Indeed, we aim to further cement our co-operation in Africa at the Franco-British summit early next year.