French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his new supermodel wife have received a great deal of media attention in the past few months. However, yesterday in Huntsman Hall, it was Pierre Vimont, French ambassador to the U.S., who found himself in the spotlight.
In front of a full house, Vimont spoke candidly about a wide range of international issues, emphasizing the role he wants France to play in the future.
The event was sponsored by the Huntsman Program and the Lauder Institute.
The ambassador reminded the audience that the political climate in France is changing, citing the election of American-leaning Sarkozy, who garnered 53 percent of the vote last year.
On the issue of Iraq, for example, France no longer seeks a passive role. The ambassador wants to "restart the political dialogue." He believes that an international conference in Paris would be a great way to get the ball rolling.
Still, Vimont admits that progress will not be easy. "In the Middle East, nothing is as simple as it looks," he said.
The U.S. is also asking France to increase its presence in Afghanistan. However, Vimont noted that this decision is particularly difficult. According to the ambassador, French resources "are becoming more and more scarce" as a result of the country's existing obligations around the globe. He said that a decision will be made on the matter before the NATO summit in April.
Looking toward the future, Vimont outlined several ambitious diplomatic goals.
France wants the international community to place greater emphasis on multilateralism. For instance, he believes that many emerging countries, such as China, India and Brazil, are unfairly excluded from the G8 summit. The ambassador would also like to see the U.N. Security Council add more members as well.
He also discussed the ongoing clash between religion and civilization in the context of the global war on terror. The ambassador said that France is committed to aiding moderate Muslims in the battle against Islamic extremism.
He mentioned that his country has made an effort to accommodate the four to five million Muslim citizens who reside in France. The government, for example, has even allocated public funding for the building of mosques.
In contrast, Vimont pointed to Muslim countries, such as Egypt and Indonesia, which are hostile to those who follow Judaism or Christianity.
"You cannot have tolerance on one side and intolerance on the other," Vimont said. "Muslim leaders have to be strong enough to ask for tolerance."
The ambassador's ideas were well received by all those lucky enough to find a seat.
"I am glad that I came," College freshman Tim McKenzie said. "The ambassador talked in depth about a number of issues of international importance. It is not everyday that I get to hear something like this."
