Statements made by M. Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the Republic, during his joint press conférence with Mr Gordon Brown, Prime minister of the United Kingdom.

THE PRESIDENT - Ladies and gentlemen,

I'd like to tell you what a pleasure my meeting with Gordon Brown has been. Gordon Brown is welcomed here in France as a friend. He's welcomed as a friend firstly because he is Prime Minister of a great friendly nation, secondly because he's a man I worked extensively with when I was finance minister. I want to tell the French that Gordon Brown was one of Europe's most brilliant finance ministers. He held the post for ten years and led the British economy from success to success. So this morning I had a meeting with a man I think very highly of and know well. I also want to thank him for coming so quickly. I must also say that he wanted to come even sooner, but this wasn't possible because of my meeting with Angela Merkel in Toulouse. Gordon wanted to come to lunch but we were already in Toulouse and it wasn't possible. I want to thank him for coming.

We talked about many issues with our British friends. I'll summarize them in a few words before Gordon himself gives us his thoughts on them, and answer your questions.

ENVIRONMENT

Firstly, we want to take very strong initiatives to defend the environment and respect the balances on our planet. As you know, Gordon Brown has been waging this battle for a long time and we're going to ask both the French Finance Minister and British Chancellor of the Exchequer to go to the Commission as soon as possible to propose to our European partners a VAT cut on all environmentally-friendly products. To give an example: it isn't right, after all, for a polluting car to cost less than a clean one. This is a Franco-British initiative whereby we're setting an example on a concrete issue.

DARFUR

I'd also like to say that we're going to act on the Darfur issue, to which Gordon is extremely committed, like France. We're going to press for the same draft resolution at the United Nations and ask our foreign ministers to convey the same message. This message is simple: the situation can't go on any longer, it's a matter of urgency. People are dying and people are suffering, this has to stop. Gordon will explain the details of this resolution. I'd like to say that we're even ready, if the resolution were passed, to go to Darfur, Chad and Sudan, together.

TERRORISM/DEFENCE

We're also going to create a joint committee which will meet every four months to exchange counter-terrorism intelligence. We want to work together more closely and strengthen our cooperation.

Finally, we're going to work on defence issues, looking ahead to the forthcoming Franco-British summit taking place this autumn in the United Kingdom, before the end of 2007.

As you can see, we've worked well together. We talk on the telephone virtually every week and I can tell you that on all the subjects discussed, we are both determined to work together, to strengthen the ties between the United Kingdom and France and take initiatives so that Europe can go forward.

GLOBALIZATION/COMPETITION

Q. - It appears that Prime Minister Gordon Brown and you don't share the same vision on globalization and competition. What's your view?

THE PRESIDENT - I'd like to reassure our British friends, I've got nothing against competition. We are, moreover, in the process of implementing reforms which will enable the French economy to be more efficient and more modern. But, admittedly, I fought for competition to remain a means and not an end. This doesn't call into question the benefits of competition, but I'd simply like to reiterate that Europe's goal is full employment, growth and wealth creation. Competition is a means to achieve this, as is trade. Like Gordon Brown, I believe in globalization, I believe in free trade. But I'm going to tell you things very simply: I believe in fair, not unfair trade. I believe in fair, not unfair competition. Europe can't be the only part of the world to play by the rules in the face of other parts of the world which adopt different rules. Some examples: we want, as Gordon does, to respect global balance. So we're asking all parts of the world to respect global balance, so we're asking all parts of the world to open their markets. Competition, yes, but fair competition. Opening them, yes, but on the basis of reciprocity. I'm in favour of a strong European line on this.

AIRCRAFT CARRIER/DEFENCE

Q. - Did you discuss the joint construction of an aircraft carrier?

THE PRESIDENT - Of course, we talked about different defence issues. We talked about them, looking ahead to the forthcoming Franco-British summit which will be in Britain. We need to work calmly, discreetly, to achieve a number of results. I myself have to review all the French defence programmes to take a number of decisions. We're absolutely determined to work with the British and the credibility of European defence depends on collaboration between the United Kingdom and France. So, we talked about this and are working very well together. There are prospects. We have a timeframe but I believe that, for the time being, the less we say, the greater our chances of making headway in the coming weeks.

(···)

We have common ambitions. There's even an excellent idea on the table, you referred to it: the aircraft carrier. Simply, I have to carry out a reform of the Defence Ministry with Hervé Morin and make some budget choices. Gordon Brown and I have agreed that we might be able to make some announcements at the time of the Franco-British Council.

RUSSIA/CHINA

Q. - The environment, Darfur and the economy: all the major issues you've just been talking about are linked to China. What are you thinking of doing with China to resolve all these problems? What do you think about current relations between China and France and between China and Britain? Also can you say a few words about relations with Russia?

THE PRESIDENT - [On Russia] You know the extent to which France has shown solidarity with our British friends. It's a matter of principle, we have shown solidarity with them. Personally, I believe in solidarity between democracies when there's a problem of this nature. We couldn't do otherwise and I don't regret this choice of solidarity.

As regards China, we need China. As Gordon said, China can have crucial influence in forcing there to be peace in Darfur. We want to work with the Chinese. I also want to say how important I think the Beijing Olympic Games are. It's a world event and I am sure that the Chinese will be keen to organize it in the best possible way.

We have two problems with China. The first is the value of the yuan. It's something I'm keen to talk to our Chinese friends about, because the way currency parities are decided is an important matter.

Secondly, an empire, a great country like China has to contribute to ensuring global balance. It's essential. The aim isn't to lecture anyone, but who can imagine China, India, Indonesia, the great emerging countries being absent from such an important issue as global warming; you know, if water levels rise because of global warming these countries will be the first to have to cope with hundreds of thousands of victims. So we have to continue the dialogue with them to make headway here. Of course, the United Kingdom and France won't resolve the problem of climate warming and global balance between the two of them.

Perhaps a final question?

SUDAN/DARFUR

Q. - Haven't you got grounds for thinking that the Sudanese authorities will start prevaricating again after coming into the process? A British Prime Minister has already been to Sudan, he talked to the Sudanese authorities, he thought he had an agreement and in the end nothing happened.

(···)

THE PRESIDENT - Because it didn't work doesn't mean we have to give up. Because we're going there doesn't mean it's necessarily going to work, but I'd like someone to explain to me how it will work if we don't do anything about it? Secondly, the players, even those on the spot, are telling us to step up the pressure. Yesterday, I had a meeting with the Chadian President, M. Idriss Déby, who told me that the pressure had to be stepped up now, not simply on the region's States, but also on the rebels - large numbers of them are in the region. At all events, what Gordon Brown and I are saying is that we can't go on doing nothing. People are dying. There's a genuinely large-scale humanitarian disaster. Of course it's difficult but, if we do nothing, how are we facing up to our responsibility? And what do people expect from us? That we simply go on watching the pictures on television, saying that it's a pity? No. We can't reconcile ourselves to this disaster. We're saying that things have to move, have to change. We want to do something by helping in the reconstruction, helping set up a hybrid force. As Gordon said, if there are people who don't want to understand that you can't play with human lives, then there will be sanctions. These are the responsibilities we are facing up to. We don't want to manage the Africans' affairs in their place. And we could well do without having to deal with this issue. But at the same time, there perhaps need to be people of goodwill saying that now, enough is enough. This is what Bernard Kouchner has done with my full support. This is what we're trying to do: get everyone, including the Chinese, actively engaged in order to get results. We can't guarantee you success, but we've decided to act.