SECRETARY KERRY, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS MAKE REMARKS IN PARIS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Quai d'Orsay
Paris, France
March 7, 2015

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (In French.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Laurent, thank you very, very much. Thank you for hosting us here today. I really appreciate the welcome, as always. It’s always wonderful to be in Paris, though obviously only for a few hours today.

I want to begin by expressing President Obama’s and my deepest condolences to the families of the French, Belgian, and Malian victims of this appalling shooting in Bamako this morning. As Foreign Minister Fabius made clear just now in his comments, this is an act of cowardice. And these horrific and cowardly attacks, these acts of terrorism, which Paris experienced too much of most recently, but an act of opening fire in a restaurant filled with innocent civilians – in the end, that only strengthens our resolve to fight terrorism in all of its forms wherever it exists. And we are pleased that together with France we have a present-day manifestation of an old relationship as we join together to express our revulsion at this kind of act, and our unity, our partnership, and our alliance in standing up to it and continuing to fight.

So rather than intimidate us, it has the exact opposite effect. It strengthens our partnership and it strengthens our commitment to see this moment, this generational challenge, through. And we will.

Today, we talked at some length – in a short span of time, obviously, but we talked about Daesh. We talked about the challenge in Syria, in Iraq, and the need to continue, and ways in which we can strengthen what we’re doing. We talked also about the need for transition in Syria and the increased efforts with respect to the Assad regime and the need to leverage him to a negotiation. We talked about Libya – the threat, obviously, of Daesh and other extremist groups taking advantage of the lack of adequate governance and the adequate resolution politically of the challenges there. And we committed to redouble our efforts together in order to focus on that.

As many of you know, I’ve spent the past week traveling in Europe and in the Middle East discussing a number of important issues. But obviously, my primary focus for this week has really been the Iran nuclear talks. And after a couple of days of very intense negotiations with the Iranians in Switzerland, I traveled to Saudi Arabia, where I updated our allies and our partners in Riyadh and throughout the Gulf. And here in Paris today, I appreciate Foreign Minister Fabius bringing people together and hosting us for our opportunity to be able to have a discussion about what is a partnership. This is not a bilateral negotiation; this is a multilateral P5+1 negotiation. And all of our partners are consistently exchanging and sharing information, sharing ideas, working together, meeting, and helping to try to drive this to the good conclusion that we want.

As Foreign Minister Fabius said a moment ago, we want an agreement that’s solid. We want an agreement that will guarantee that we are holding any kind of program that continues in Iran accountable to the highest standards so that we know that it is, in fact, a peaceful program. All of us in the P5+1 are deeply committed to ensuring that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. And we continue to believe that a comprehensive deal that includes intrusive access and verification measures, and blocks each of the pathways to securing fissile material for a bomb and then to try and make a bomb itself, that the best way to achieve the goal is to shut off those pathways.

Now, I agree with Laurent. We have exactly the same assessment. We have made progress, but there remain gaps – divergences, as he said. And we need to close those gaps. And that is our goal over the course of the next days. We have a critical couple of weeks ahead of us. We’re all mindful that the days are ticking by. But we’re not feeling a sense of urgency that we have to get any deal. We have to get the right deal. And it is frankly up to Iran – that wants this program, that wants a peaceful program, that asserts that they have a peaceful program – to show the world that it is indeed exactly what they say. That’s the measure here. And we planned a return to the talks. Starting next Sunday, different folks will be having different conversations, and we look forward to trying to drive this thing to an appropriate conclusion. And we will find out whether or not Iran is prepared to take the steps to answer the questions that the world has a right to get answers to.

I’d be happy to take any questions. Laurent, you --

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (In French.)

Hello. Madam (inaudible).

QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. Foreign Minister, you said yesterday the deal doesn’t go far enough in the extent and duration of Iran’s commitments. What are your primary areas of concern? Is it enrichment capacity, breakout time, how long Iran will accept constraints on its enrichment activities, what happens when the agreement expires? Did you make specific suggestions to Mr. Kerry today on how the agreement can be improved?

And Mr. Secretary, also relating to the Foreign Minister’s comments yesterday, do you agree the deal does not go far enough in terms of the extent and duration of commitments? What will you say to your partners today to reassure them about the progress of the talks? Also, Iran’s nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, said today Iran has put forward technical proposals to the U.S. to overcome their concerns. He said the impasse over technical issues is over. Do you share this assessment? Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (In French.)

Under no circumstances Iran will never seek nor possess any nuclear weapon.

(In French.)

SECRETARY KERRY: I agree completely with the comments of Foreign Minister Fabius, particularly with respect to the picture that he just drew of what happens if you don’t have a good, solid agreement. All of us have an interest in making certain that the countries in the region feel sufficiently convinced that this agreement is meaningful – that it will hold, that it’s real, and that they’re secure – so that they don’t in fact make matters worse by all engaging in the development of a program because they feel threatened.

So our obligation is, as Laurent just said, not to each other, not just to those of us in the talks. It’s to a much broader community – in fact, to the world. Because we are also deeply involved in trying to denuclearize North Korea, and there are any number of other players in the world who might at some point think that they would be advantaged by proceeding down this road. So this – the stakes here are higher than just this P5+1-plus-Iran negotiation.

I also agree – and I said at the beginning of my comments, we are on the same page. If we didn’t think that there was further to go, as Laurent said, we’d have had an agreement already. The reason we don’t have an agreement is we believe there are gaps that have to be closed. There are things that have to be done to further strengthen this. We know this. And we have not resolved – now, like Laurent, I’m not going to stand here now and negotiate with you in public and give you a whole bunch of differentials. That’s what we’re going to go do, all of us together.

But the bottom line is that everybody knows what matters here: the length of this – the length and duration, the levels of visibility, the control, as Laurent said, the issue of verification and knowledge. All of these are key. This is an arms control agreement. They have been negotiated for a long period of time, particularly before between the Western world and the former Soviet Union. So we know something about these. We have a track record of standards. We have a track record of IAEA requirements. We have a track record of mistakes and we understand what we need to do.

So the proof will be in an agreement if it is reached. And none of us are going to, I think, publicly start to lay out numbers and equations here. We know what we’re chasing after, and we’re chasing after the same thing, all of us in the P5+1. That’s what’s important.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (In French.)

QUESTION: (Inaudible), Al Arabiya (inaudible). Secretary Kerry, you have said on Thursday that Iran is still supporting terrorism, while General Dempsey was telling senators that Iran’s role in Iraq might be positive. Does that mean that according to the United States, Iran is fighting terrorism in Iraq and supporting it in Syria and in Yemen? Would you clarify this divergence between the two statements?

(In French.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me answer that very directly. The advance on Tikrit is an Iraqi-designed and an Iraqi-controlled advance. And Prime Minister Abadi himself went out to the front several days beforehand. He briefed our people and others on what their plans were. There are Sunni tribes involved in this effort. There are Iraqi armed forces involved. And yes, there are some militias involved, and yes, some of those militias are receiving direction from General Soleimani and from Iran. That’s a fact.

But we’re not coordinating with them. We’re not discussing this with them. I think what General Dempsey said is a matter of pure common sense and fact. If Iran kills a bunch of ISIL/Daesh on the ground, and it serves the interests of Iraq and the rest of us, that might wind up helping, but it doesn’t mean that we accept in any way their behavior with respect to other things they’re doing in Yemen, in Beirut, in Damascus, elsewhere.

So yes, they have been engaged in these other activities. That’s why they are a designated country. And the truth is that’s not on the table in this discussion. Our goal is ultimately to change the behavior and ultimately try to affect these other places. But for the moment, the key is to prevent them from having a nuclear weapon. Because if this country that is engaged in these other activities has a nuclear weapon, you got a whole different ballgame.

So let’s keep our eye on the priority. Priority number one is to not have a pathway to a nuclear weapon and guarantee that this program is peaceful. And as I have said to our friends in the region and elsewhere, the next day, if we get an agreement, we continue to have disagreements over these other kinds of activities. And that will be the next layer of effort, is to try to work at changing the whole dynamic. But that’s not what’s on the table here right now. And I think General Dempsey was simply speaking to a kind of common sense judgment about one moment, but only a moment in this unfolding process.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (In French.)

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks With French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius After Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Quai d'Orsay
Paris, France
November 5, 2014

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (In French.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Merci. Thank you, Laurent. As Foreign Minister Fabius has just said to you, we had a broad discussion on all of the topics that he mentioned to you. We agree that we are living in very, very complicated times with enormous challenges, but we also believe that we are up to those challenges. And whether it is Ebola or ISIL, Syria, Iraq, the challenge of the nuclear program in Iran, Afghanistan, France and the United States are cooperating more than ever before, hand in hand closely, driven by our values, as Laurent said, and mindful of the fact that the world is looking for leadership on these issues.

We did talk, as he said, about our approaches to and our concerns about the negotiations with respect to Iran’s program, and I agree with Laurent. They have a right to a peaceful program but not a track to a bomb. We believe it is pretty easy to prove to the world that a plan is peaceful. And so we talked today about our common positions, about our common interests. We are hand in hand, linked in this effort, and we will work extremely closely together in the next weeks to try to find a successful path.

In addition, we are very committed to continuing to press for the stability and ability to find peace in the Middle East. We talked about that today. We both have deep concerns about the continued settlements that are taking place and the need for all parties involved to avoid confrontation and try to find a way back to the negotiations, which are critical and the only way, in the end, to be able to bring about the stability and peace that people want.

So there are many challenges beyond even the ones we talked today – Libya, North Africa, counterterrorism – but I’m very grateful to Laurent Fabius for the leadership of France, for their engagement, for their initiative individually in certain countries – Mali, elsewhere, Central African Republic, where France has been willing to take the lead and help to make a difference. And we remain committed, particularly in these next weeks when so much is at stake, to continuing to work together extremely closely.

So I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here today and I thank Laurent for his good counsel and for his good food. (Laughter.) Thank you, sir.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: Thank you, sir. Merci.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH PERUVIAN AND FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTERS ON CLIMATE CHANGE

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Secretary's Remarks: Remarks With Peruvian Foreign Minister Gonzalo Gutierrez and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change Ministerial

Remarks With Peruvian Foreign Minister Gonzalo Gutierrez and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change Ministerial

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Marriott East Side

New York City

September 21, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon, everybody. Thank you very, very much for joining us here at the Major Economies Forum. We’re deeply appreciative for so many ministers making the effort to be here. This is the first time we’ve had ministers like this at the Major Economies, so it’s significant. And I’m delighted to be here co-hosting with my friends, Foreign Minister of Peru Gonzalo Gutierrez, and of course, Laurent Fabius of France, and we’re very appreciative to all of you for taking part in this.

President Obama launched the Major Economies Forum in 2009, recognizing that the vast – not the vast majority – I mean, by far, almost all of the greenhouse gas emissions doing damage to the planet come from about 20 countries. And regrettably, the United States is number two. We’ve been surpassed by China now. But this is not good for anybody in the world, and we understand this.

So these are the economies that are in the best position to be able to address the global threat of climate change and whose partnership is absolutely essential in order to do so. Today, as I said, is the first time ever that foreign ministers have met under this forum, and it’s obviously not going to be the last because it’s increasingly clear that climate change has impacts not only on the environment but for our economies and for global security interests as well.

Today, we can see climate refugees. We see people fighting over water in some places. There are huge challenges to food security and challenges to the ecosystem, our fisheries and otherwise. The acidification of the ocean is a challenge for all of us.

And when you accrue all of this, while we are confronting ISIL and we are confronting terrorism and we are confronting Ebola and other things, those are immediate. This also has an immediacy that people need to come to understand, but it has even greater longer-term consequences that can cost hundreds of billions, trillions of dollars, lives, and the security of the world.

So that’s why we’ve invited all of you here today, and that’s why I’m so pleased that so many of you have recognized the urgency at hand and you’ve made it a priority to be here. I know this is obviously a very busy week for all of us, and there’s a long list of important issues for all of us to focus on while we’re here at the General Assembly, but the grave threat that climate change poses warrants a prominent position on that list. I can remember being in Rio at the Earth Summit in 1992. I can remember a voluntary commitment, which we all know didn’t work. I was in Kyoto. Many of you were there. We all understand the road we’ve traveled. But it hasn’t gotten the job done. So the Major Economies obviously understand that if we collectively elevate the important issue of global action to address this threat, we will succeed.

And unlike many of the challenges that we face, when it comes to climate change we know exactly what it takes to get the job done. There’s no mystery to this. The solution to climate change is energy policy. If we make the right choices about how we build buildings, how we transport people, what we do with respect to providing electricity and power to our countries, this problem gets solved. And every one of our countries has the technologies today to be able to do this. The policies aren’t complicated. It’s getting the political will to make the decisions to do what we know we have to do about it. It’s as simple as that, and that is true all over the world.

So that’s where our focus needs to be. We’re going to have a chance to finalize a program and approach to this at the Climate Conference in Paris next year. We’re grateful to France for its efforts already to help countries begin to target that. It’s only 16 months away, and as foreign ministers we have a key role in the coming months to raise the importance of this issue – excuse me – and to help all of our countries to focus on the targets that we need to put forward in order to deal with it.

So again, a profound thank you to all of you for being here. I turn now to Foreign Minister Gonzalo Gutierrez for his words of welcome.

FOREIGN MINISTER GUTIERREZ: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary of State, distinguished ministers and delegates. We in Peru welcome the timely initiative of the Secretary of State John Kerry to convene a foreign ministers meeting to discuss some of the global implications of climate change. Many of our countries are already experiencing unprecedented weather events that cause destruction and cripple communications, production, transport infrastructure, and above all, taking away precious human lives.

We in Peru are watching helplessly how the largest tropical glaciers on Earth continue melting away, depriving large coastal population and future agricultural developments of valuable water reserves. In the higher parts of the Andean region, unusual freezing temperatures are having a tragic impact on vulnerable population, food production, and different areas of the human life.

Response to these radical changes of nature is not always possible or efficient. This is why adaptation – we think it’s a key pillar in the climate change agenda, one that requires vast mobilization of cooperation, resources, and human qualification. Governments and business will have a chance this week to look closer at the opportunities to work together in innovative investment oriented towards low-carbon economies. We expect announcements that will bolster – booster confidence and ambition in the process that can lead to a substantial outcome in the COP 20 in Lima.

This, as a basis to conclude a new climate agreement in 2015 in Paris only – and let me stress only – if we are able to create a concrete basis for agreement in the Lima COP, there will be a solid basis for a comprehensive understanding in Paris. We expect significant announcements that major economies at this stage may do in order to expect a productive and significant outcome next year.

I thank you very much again for your invitation and I hope we all may have a very fruitful discussion today.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, Gonzalo, very much. And now, Laurent Fabius.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: I will speak French. That’s for the earphones.

(Via interpreter) Dear John, thank you very much for this initiative of yours, which does not surprise us on your part since before you even were Secretary of State of the United States, you have always been interested in climate questions, the environment. You are an expert.

And I also tell my Peruvian colleague how happy I am to be sitting next to him, all the more since, as he said himself but in another way, the more the Lima results will be good, the less work we’ll have to do in Paris. If we end the thing in Lima, I invite all of you in Paris for two weeks – only in nightclubs. (Laughter.)

Two or three quick remarks. First remark: I think it’s the first time that foreign affair ministers gather in order to talk about this topic. And it’s not only because John is Secretary of State; it is not only because we all have the secret wish to take the job of our environment colleagues; it is much more, because we all understood that this question was a major question for the balance of the world. Of course, there are technical details in the discussions that we’re going to have, but before all, as my colleague said very well, it is a question of political will – political will. And we are here, we as foreign affair ministers, in order to try to express this political will. And I’m certain that we’ll make it number one.

Number two, in our work we keep talking about climate change, and sometimes we talk about global warming. As far as I’m concerned, I like to talk about climate disruption – climate disruption because it is not a question that is limited, it is a question that’s going to last 50 years, it is a question that is major and that is of today’s importance. So I think that if we want to succeed in Lima, in Paris, we must show two things: number one, that it is a question for right now; and then, that it is a question which needs solutions, of course, with some constraints, but also can give us some extremely positive fallout. And I think we have to be positive in the results; we have to have positive results around new growth, job creation, because this is how we’re going to convince people who are still reluctant.

Two last words. Today, a certain number of us have walked and marched in the streets of New York, and I’m told that there were other meetings in the world. I was there. I was with Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the UN. I was with Al Gore and other VIPs. And I think that it shows that people are now much more aware in all our countries of how important this topic is. And this coming week, at the initiative of Ban Ki-moon, is going to strengthen even more this new awareness. And I think in our countries we have to lean on this new awareness in order to obtain the results that are necessary in the Lima conference and in the Paris conference.

And lastly, in Warsaw – it was my first conference; I’m less of a veteran than some of you – I got in touch with different delegations. And I didn’t ask them what needs to be done in order to succeed. What I asked them was what should not be done. And I’ve had very interesting answers. One of the conclusions I drew was the following: If, in the past, we have had a few disappointments, it’s because we believed that at the very last minute, when the biggest political leaders were going to come, thanks to them, they’re going to solve all the problems.

No. Things must be prepared in a way that’s both ambitious and humble, ahead of time. That’s the reason why it’s so important to see each other right now. The UN week must be positive. In Lima, things must go forward, and then in many, many other meetings. So we have to be very ambitious and very modest. And my role, because France is going to chair the conference and the president of the republic has asked me to chair it as minister of foreign affairs, my role will be to listen to all of you and to try not really to push the French solutions. Let’s not be arrogant. But I’ll have the role of facilitator, so I’m very optimistic because I have all of your support. Thank you very much.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, Laurent, very, very much. We appreciate your words and leadership, and we very much look forward to the Paris conference, to Lima first and then to Paris, and really a year of decision.

SECRETARY KERRY, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS MAKE REMARKS AFTER MEETING

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks With French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius After Their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Paris, France

June 26, 2014

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SECRETARY KERRY: I want to thank Foreign Minister Fabius for France’s extraordinary hospitality and helping to provide the venue for a number of meetings today. And Foreign Minister Fabius and I discussed each of the individual many hotspots that we are challenged by today. We particularly agree on Iraq that we want a government formation as rapidly as possible that represents unity for the country. We are also deeply concerned about the challenge of Syria. We talked about that as well as the Iran nuclear talks, which we are deeply involved in and partnering in very significantly.

Ukraine, we are in full agreement that it is critical for Russia to show in the next hours, literally, that they are moving to help disarm the separatists, to encourage them to disarm, to call on them to lay down their weapons and begin to become part of a legitimate political process. And the European Community will be meeting on their component of the sanctions. We all agree that they need to be ready. But our preference is not to have to be into a sanctions mode. We would like to see a cooperative effort between the United States, Europe, and Russia and the Ukrainians. And we are going to try to encourage that as much as we can.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (In French.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Do you want to say anything in English for the American audience?

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: Pidgin English. (Laughter.) And afterwards you say something in French.

We have discussed with Secretary John Kerry, as we are doing very frequently, nearly every day, at least every week, and particularly about Iraq and about Ukraine and Iran as well, and have insisted – we have insisted on the very, very difficult situation in Iraq where the ISIL group has shown terrible ferocity and brutality, and we are expecting from the Iraqi that it could get united. And it’s a necessity not only for Iraq but for the whole region, because it’s a menace for Iraq, for the region, for Europe, and for U.S. as well.

And we have discussed about Ukraine. There is some sort – but we will be very careful – of a de-escalation. There has been yesterday a long conversation between French president, German chancellor, Russian president, and Ukrainian president as well. There are commitments which have been taken, and we hope that it will be implemented today and in the coming days.

And we have discussed particularly about Iran and nuclear talks, because we are 5+1 and Iran on the other hand, and we want – we accept perfectly that Iran could have nuclear civil energy, but as sometime I am summarizing very briefly, atomic bomb, no.
Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Merci. Thank you.

FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS "WE HAVE 500 DAYS TO AVOID CLIMATE CHAOS"

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks With French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius Before their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry
Secretary of State

Treaty Room

Washington, DC

May 13, 2014

---

SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning, everybody. This is, indeed, a pleasure. Laurent Fabius, the foreign minister of France, has welcomed me to France more times than I can count. He’s been an exceptional host, and most importantly, a great partner as we have worked together on issue after issue since I’ve become Secretary. Second time we’ve been pleased to have him here at the State Department; he was here with President Hollande not so long ago.But today, we have much to talk about in the context of our partnership and work together. France has been really one of the most steady partners in almost every single endeavor that we are engaged in, particularly on the challenge of reaching an agreement with Iran with respect to Iran’s nuclear program; with respect to Syria, where we have worked from day one on our efforts to hold the Assad regime accountable and provide support to the moderate opposition; with respect to Libya, Mali, Chad, the Maghreb, the entire Middle East peace process, Afghanistan. I mean, there really is not an issue where we are not able to find a path to be partners.

In addition to that, we share major responsibilities of the P5. The P5+1 initiative on Iran is a significant one. We work very closely together in Geneva and in Paris and elsewhere in our efforts to advance those negotiations.

So I’m happy to welcome Laurent here today. He’s now working with an expanded portfolio in the French Government in dealing with economic issues. I’ve said from day one foreign policy is economic policy, and economic policy is foreign policy. So we find ourselves working in concert on those issues too – on the health of our economies and the effort to provide jobs for our people. So it’s a great pleasure to welcome you here. Thank you, Laurent.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: Merci. (In French.)

SECRETARY KERRY: In French. Okay.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (In French.) We have 500 days to avoid the climate chaos. (In French.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much. Do you want to say anything? He speaks perfect English. Do you want to say anything?

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: Well, I’m very happy to be with John. There is no week without a phone call or a visit between John and myself, and we have on the agenda many items, many issues – Iran, because negotiations are resuming today; the question of Syria, and we shall meet next Thursday in London together; Ukraine as well; and very important issues, issue of climate change, climate chaos. And we have – as I said, we have 500 days to avoid climate chaos. And I know that President Obama and John Kerry himself are committed on this subject and I’m sure that with them, with a lot of other friends, we shall be able to reach success on this very important matter.

And it’s always a pleasure to meet with John. We are working very closely together. And we speak either French or English, but the most important point, whatever the language is, is to (inaudible) case. Merci. Thank you.

REMARKS: SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY AND FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks With French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Quai d'Orsay
Paris, France
February 19, 2014


SECRETARY KERRY: Hello, everybody. First of all, let me say I’m very happy to be back visiting with Foreign Minister Fabius so soon after his visit to Washington. And we all appreciated the state visit, and we’re still feeling positive results of that meeting, which was very, very productive for all of us.
I wanted to say a word about the situation in Ukraine. All of us are deeply disturbed by the scenes of the violence, by the level of abuse that the citizens in the streets have felt over the course of the last days. And our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine for what has been happening.

President Yanukovych has the opportunity to make a choice. The choice is between protecting the people that he serves, all of the people, and a choice for a compromise and dialogue versus violence and mayhem. We believe the choice is clear, and we are talking about the possibility of sanctions or other steps with our friends in Europe and elsewhere in order to try to create the environment for compromise.

Our desire is for Mr. Yanukovych to bring people together, dialogue with the opposition, find the measure of compromise, and put the broad interests of the people of Ukraine out front. We are convinced there is still space for that to happen. The violence can be avoided, and in the end, the aspirations of the people of Ukraine can be met through that kind of dialogue. That is our hope. Vice President Biden talked yesterday, I believe even today again, with President Yanukovych. But really it’s in his hands to decide what the future of Ukraine and the future hopes of his people will be. And we hope very, very much that violence will be avoided and compromise will be found.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (In French.)

SECRETARY KERRY: (Inaudible.) Tomorrow the foreign minister will be leaving to join with the German foreign minister and the Polish foreign minister in Kyiv, where they will gather the latest information regarding the situation on the ground. And then they will go to Brussels, where they will have a meeting in order to discuss the possibility of sanctions or whatever steps might be appropriate.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: We shall meet tomorrow morning, the different element, the different actors, in Kyiv. And stemming from that, we shall encourage them to find a way of dialogue. And stemming from that, we should be back in Brussels to take the decisions which are necessary.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you all very much. Thank you.

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S REMARKS IN PARIS

FROM:  STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks With French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Quai d'Orsay
Paris, France
January 13, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you all very much. Thank you. Nice to be back. I’m very grateful for Minister Fabius’s leadership yesterday in hosting our meeting. We work very closely, obviously, with France on many issues. I’m very grateful for our joint efforts with respect to Syria and Iran and the P5+1. And we particularly are grateful for the leadership that France has shown both in Mali and in the Central African Republic. It’s been very important, and we’re happy to work together on these issues and many more. Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (In French.)

SECRETARY KERRY: I forgot to mention we very much look forward to welcoming President Hollande when he comes next month. Very good. Merci.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: Merci.