French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, said, on Monday 24 Nov. 2008, that he "shares concerns" of King Mohammed VI, chairman of Al-Quds Committee, with regard to Al-Quds Asharif (Jerusalem).
"I share your concerns over Jerusalem. In this regard, the French stance is clear and is consistent with the international law", Srakozy said in response to a message sent by the monarch, in his quality as chairman of Al-Quds Committee, adding that "France, as a permanent member of the of the security council (...), gives great importance to the peace process."
The French president asserted that his country "opposes all actions that would prejudge the outcome of the negotiations on the final status or those which would undermine the ongoing peace process", underlining that "settlement activities constitute an obstacle to peace," and that "France and the EU support a total freeze of settlement in all Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem".
“As I already said in the Knesset last June, there will be no peace that excludes Jerusalem which would be the capital of the two states, Israel and Palestine”, said Sarkozy, adding that “the preservation of Jerusalem’s status and monuments, guaranteeing free access to the holy sites and ending settlements are crucial to the achievement of peace”.
The French president assured king Mohammed VI that “ France intends to continue efforts in order to achieve peace in the region”, stressing the particular attention he attaches to the integrity of Jerusalem.
King Mohammed VI in his quality as chairman of AL-Quds Committee had sent, last month, messages to the heads of State and government of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, and the Pope Benedict XVI, calling for intervention to urge Israeli government to refrain from all actions that undermine the prospects for peace in the region.
These messages were sent following Israeli violations in Al-Quds (Jerusalem) where it started building a Jewish temple in the Muslim Quarter of Al-Boraq, adjacent to the AL-Aqsa Mosque, the Israeli excavation works around the Mosque and the continuation of settlements’ construction.
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