ASFE Association, always by your side when abroad

We, the Foreign Ministers of European democracies, are disturbed and deeply concerned at the deteriorating situation in Georgia.
We strongly condemn the recent, politically motivated, imprisonment and detention of the leaders of Georgian opposition, clearly designed to stifle political opposition in Georgia, a few months ahead of the local elections. Their detention, as well as arbitrary arrests and increasing repression of other Georgian authorities' critics, representatives of civil (…)

M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, had a meeting on 11 July with his Italian counterpart, Mr Antonio Tajani, on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference held in Rome. The meeting built on President Macron's meeting with the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, in Rome on 3 June.
The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs and his counterpart praised the excellent momentum in the Franco-Italian relationship, governed by the Quirinal Treaty signed on 26 (…)

Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, had a meeting on 11 July with Mgr Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations of the Holy See, in Vatican City.
Two months after Pope Leo XIV's election, the Minister expressed a fraternal message and the wish for this new pontificate to bring peace, solidarity and hope. The Minister and Mgr Gallagher had in-depth discussions about conflict situations, particularly in Ukraine and the (…)

France takes note of the decision handed down by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on July 9 holding Russia responsible for flagrant, widespread human rights violations in the parts of Ukraine that it has occupied since 2014 and during its large-scale invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022.
In its ruling, the Court cites the existence of an organized system of human rights violations that includes indiscriminate military attacks, summary executions, acts of torture, and (…)

Thirty years ago, on July 11, 1995, the Srebrenica genocide began. It was the darkest hour of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. More than 8,000 adults and children were massacred in one of the worst crimes committed on European soil since World War II.
On this day of commemorations marking the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide – commemorations attended by Minister Delegate for Europe Benjamin Haddad – France remembers the suffering endured by the Bosnians. We express our heartfelt (…)

In 2025, the French government and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) mark 20 years of joint action for nature and sustainable development.
The celebration of that anniversary on July 8 highlighted the achievements of a historic partnership that since 2005 has played a key role in protecting biodiversity at the global level. The occasion was marked by the signing of a new partnership agreement for 2026-2029, reflecting the two parties' ongoing commitment to (…)

France strongly condemns the resumption of Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, which left several sailors dead and others wounded.
These attacks are an unacceptable obstacle to the freedom of navigation and threaten stability throughout the region. They must stop immediately, along with the constant Houthi attacks on Israel.
Together with its partners, France remains fully committed to maritime security and regional stability under the banner of the EU defensive maritime (…)

France and Poland call for the EU-Mercosur agreement to be complemented in order to effectively protect the agricultural sector and uphold European standards.
France and Poland are thus aligned on the need to find a better balance within the Mercosur agreement between promoting the free trade to which the European Union is committed and safeguarding Europe's strategic interests including food security and food safety.
France and Poland reaffirm their support for fair and reciprocal free (…)

Q: How have Iranian authorities responded to the disappearance of Lennart Monterlos, who has been missing in Iran since mid-June?
A: We are in contact with the Iranian authorities on the subject of our citizen's disappearance.
His disappearance is troubling and we are in touch with his family. Once again, we urge all French citizens to avoid travel to Iran.

France expresses its deep concern following the July 5th arrest of several elected officials belonging to the opposition, including the mayors of Adana, Antalya and Adiyaman. These developments follow the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu more than three months ago, on March 23, and the arrest of city officials in Izmir on July 1.
Respect for the rights of local elected officials and parliamentarians from opposition parties, the right to a fair trial, the right to protest and (…)