French Foreign Minister Claude Cheysson said today that the new Administration of President Francois Mitterrand will honor all exisiting arms contracts and deliver all underwritten equipment. Cheysson branded as “lies” reports that France might cancel some of its existing arms contracts and said “The Arabs are luckily not fooled by such reports.”
The Minister for External Relations who was speaking on a radio program specified, however, that new contracts will not be signed “with racist or fascist regimes.” He refused to explain to what countries these terms would apply.
Cheysson made no reference to Mitterrand’s broad hints during his electoral campaign that the supply of enriched uranium to Iraq will be halted. The Minister said “France’s signature is sacred and we shall honor all political and commercial obligations. We are not going to change everything overnight. We are reliable partners and shall remain so.”
The Minister blamed certain unspecified foreign countries and “some Frenchmen who do not realize how much they serve foreign interests for spreading such lies.”
Cheysson said that President Mitterrand will send a number of personal representatives to all Arab countries to inform Arab leaders of France’s policy. The President’s brother, retired Air Force Gen. Jacques Mitterrand, last weekend conveyed such a message to King Khaled of Saudi Arabia with whom he met in Riyadh.
Cheysson said that the President’s brother visited Saudi Arabia in connection with the activities of the aeronautical firm he heads. The company, the state-owned Industries Aerospatiales, announced later today that it has signed a $135 million contract for an Arab regional telecommunication satellite.
Cheysson’s declaration is part of a French attempt to reassure the Arab countries that Mitterrand’s election will not basically affect Franco-Israeli ties and that an expected improvement in relations between Paris and Jerusalem will not be undertaken at the Arabs’ expense.
MESSAGE TO LEBANON’S FOREIGN MINISTER
Cheysson himself delivered this message today to Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Fuad Butros. The Lebanese was the first Foreign Minister received at the Quai D’Orsay since the new administration’s takeover. French officials told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Butros was on his way back to Beirut from an Arab League meeting in Tunis and “the meeting just seemed useful at this time.”
France has traditionally been one of the main ##rms suppliers to the Arab world. The Arabs also have between 30 – 50 billion francs ($6 – $9 billion) deposited with French banks or invested in French enterprises.
{SPAN}###{/SPAN} FRANCO-ISRAELI TIES IMPROVING
In spite of Cheysson’s declarations and French official reassurances to the Arab states, Israeli circles here believe that Franco-Israeli ties are rapidly improving.
Mitterrand sent a personal message to Israeli Premier Menachem Begin yesterday accepting his invitation to pay an offical visit to Israel “as soon as circumstances will permit” and expressed the hope that France and Israel “will renew their dialogue in a spirit of sincerity and trust to discuss the main problems” and especially the establishment of “a just and authentic peace in the Middle East which would take into consideration the legitimate aspirations of all the peoples in the area.”
Mitterrand’s trip to Israel is not expected to take place before the Israeli elections June 30 or before a new government is installed, possibly not until next fall.
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