Ammon News - By Banan Malkawi
AMMONNEWS - Jordan is witnessing a breakthrough in freedom of expression and daring demands, the French Ambassador to Jordan, Corinne Breuze, said, expressing that this change represents a quantum leap in the Kingdom.
The Ambassador added during a meeting with a number of journalists Tuesday at her Residence in Amman that Jordanians today have daring demands and aspirations for the change and reform that they are seeking. She considered that this was a new phenomenon, differing significantly from from many other counties in the region.
She stated that in comparison with the regional political climate, Jordan now has an arena for expression of opinion, and that the prevailing attitude in Jordan at present is leaning towards dialogue rather than confrontation.
Breuze raised the point that this arena for expression was making it difficult for confrontation to break out, in contrast to what is being witnessed in Syria, for example, where the regime had built a wall between it and the people and pursued confrontation and violence instead of dialogue and tolerance for expression of opinions.
She stressed that change here in Jordan is emerging by means of freedom of expression and civil society.
She said that today "we are reading in newspaper articles and blogs the voices of the people in the street being sharply critical of the situation and daring to express their opposition to the government's approach. They are talking freely about corruption, while this type of freedom of expression is still not present in other countries of the region."
In the course of the meeting, which took place to mark the occasion of French National Day (Bastille Day) on 14th July, Breuze noted that it was an important day for French people and their history since 14th July represents the day of the revolution and historical change.
She mentioned that the occasion was more important than usual this year for two reasons - the first being the announcement of French President Nicolas Sarkozy dedicating this year to communities 'beyond the seas' - i.e. the islands that belong to France in the Pacific and Indian Oceans as part of France's year of diversity.
The second reason is that this year National Day is taking a regional flavor in view of the Arab Spring in the region.
The Ambassador considered that the changes and developments in the Middle East and North Africa (and specifically the Mediterranean region) are having an impact on French policies in the region.
'We believed that we knew the region and its history well… but the Tunisian Revolution surprised us as it surprised the world," she clarified.
Similarly, she indicated that 'we started to ask ourselves how to work with these changes and to alter our policy in a way that conforms with events and developments and helps these states in their reforms and new regimes.'
One of the changes in French policy towards a number of states that had witnessed and continued to witness radical changes was that France is now able to communicate with civil societies whereas before it had not been able to do so.
She went on to say that France had had solid relations with Arab countries and had been helping Arab regimes and governments in an effort to achieve stability.
"We had not noticed popular agitation and aspirations for change, and we did not feel these popular sentiments… so after the revolutions, we began to ask ourselves how we could reach segments of society that we previously had no contact with," she said.
"Before, we were only talking to the authorities. We were aiming for stability; we didn't know that stability likewise had a political cost."
The value of the Tunisian Revolution, she added, had been to change France's vision and relationship with Arab states and to open up to different sectors of Arab societies.
Turning to the development of France's policy vis-a-vis events in Libya and Syria, the Ambassador said that France had adopted the approach of the UN Security Council towards Libya, which in turn adopted the ruling of the Arab League regarding international intervention. 'The goal of the Security Council and the Arab League was to protect the people from the massacres that were being perpetrated by the Libyan regime', she said.
As for Syria, the Ambassador opined that the situation there was completely different in the sense that the Arab League had not issued a decision as it had done with Libya.
"To those who accused the West's position towards Syria of being double-faced," she said that this did not apply to France, "which had taken a courageous stance vis-a-vis Syria since the outbreak of the revolution, daring to tell the Syrian regime that the use of violence was a red line."
With regard to the G8, Breuze noted that the French President had convinced his partners to add Jordan and Morocco to the group of states who had taken reform measures and that would be offered economic and social aid.
She mentioned that the Kingdom of Jordan had made a presentation to the G8 that included an explanation of the economic situation and financial problems it suffers from. The Gr8was now studying this in order to present financial aid, she noted.
She clarified that the international partnership to support Jordan and other states in the region economically comes with the political process and demands for political reform that must be realized by the beneficiary state.
She also stated that the French Embassy in Amman was holding meetings and communications with popular and political activist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, on the grounds that they were part of the political game on the Jordanian arena.
The Ambassador considered that the use of violence, by any entity, is a red line, saying that 'we communicate with all who respect the principles and bases of democracy and all different parties including the Muslim Brotherhood, with the aim of listening to their opinions and visions about the political situation in the country. "We listen to their opinions and demands for change."
With regard to bilateral relations, she said that France was always supportive of Jordan and is the first (non-Arab) foreign investor in Jordan. "When we tell French investors to invest in Jordan, we have to tell them about the conditions of the country to convince them that investment here is safe by explaining the political and economic situation in Jordan."
Regarding French investments in Jordan, which total $1.3 billion, she noted that previous debts payable to France were transformed in 2007 into investment projects, including investments of nearly 30 French companies in the fields of energy, water, cement, among others.
In her role as a diplomatic envoy of her country, Breuze noted that she attends local protests, with the knowledge of Jordanian authorities, as an "observer" like any journalist would. "My role is not to partake, but to report the scene back to my country."
Asked whether she fears for her safety at protests, she noted that she doesn't feel any more danger than a citizen or journalist who attends protests would. "Protestors in Jordan are responsible, and Jordan has not witnessed violence like other Arab countries," she added, with the exception of the March 25th violent clashes that took place at the Interior Ministry Circle.
Regarding the EU's decision to grant Jordan an "Advanced Status," Breuze expressed that the EU focuses on cooperating with civil society in Jordan, considering that as a "national priority."
* By Jessica Watkins from Ammon News Arabic
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