U.S.-Saudi Arabia - Pierre Vimont - Conference - CIT / New America Foundation

Home > Articles > 2009 > Item of Interest

ITEM OF INTEREST
May 18, 2009

U.S.-Saudi Relations in a World Without Equilibrium
Conference Transcripts -- Session 3
Pierre Vimont

Editor's Note:

Last week a major forum addressing the state of and prospects for the relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was convened in Washington by the New America Foundation (NAF) and the Committee for International Trade (CIT) of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Distinguished speakers spent the day providing perspectives and insights on what the relationship should look like, how economics was shaping the national security picture vis a vis the relationship, the challenges for America in the region and how the perspective on these challenges look from the Saudi Arabian point of view.

Today we are pleased to provide the transcripts from the third and final session, "Through Saudi Arabia's Window and Other Lenses: Middle East Dynamics and Stakeholder Challenges". Among the featured speakers was His Excellency Pierre Vimont, the Ambassador of France to the United States and Former Chief of Staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Republic of France.

Separate emails will provide each panelist's remarks and the question and answer period transcript. You can find all of the conference materials and related links at a new SUSRIS Special Section. [ "U.S.-Saudi Relations in a World Without Equilibrium" - Conference Special Section ]

Video MP3

U.S.-Saudi Relations in a World Without Equilibrium
Conference Transcripts -- Session 3
His Excellency Pierre Vimont
Ambassador of France to the United States
Former Chief of Staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of France

[Pierre Vimont] Well, thank you for the New America Foundation for inviting me to speak. I�m very impressed because I�m the French on the podium, the only one who doesn�t really know how to speak English in a proper way, but I�ll try to do my best. And secondly, I�m quite impressed because I was asked to explain the complexity of the Middle East at the moment through a French lens, and I�m not sure that a French can bring simplicity in what is a complex situation. Now I was asked to do that, it reminded me of a quotation by one of a very old Prime Minister from the time of First World War, � who used to say a camel is a horse that has been designed by a French Parliamentary committee. So this is more � what I�m going to try to do now. And I apologize in advance.

Let me show a few observations, because I think then it will be time to leave the floor for Anne-Marie, who will say much more interesting things than I can say. But I think I just want to give you four or five observations from a French point of view about what�s going on in this area at the moment as far as French can see.

I think the first impression I get when I look at that region, and this goes back to some of the experience I had to face, it�s the increasing number of factors that are trying to play a part in that area. If you just compared the situation at the time of the Lebanon crisis in 2006 and what has happened very recently at the last Gaza events at the end of 2008-2009, it is very amazing and very impressive to look at the way the number of factors have increased in trying to solve that issue once again. Understand me well -- I�m not trying to complain. I think it�s, they�re trying, each one of them, to help to find a solution, and I think this is for the best. But still, the increasing complexity has to be taken into account. Just think for one second about on the Arab side, where at the time of the Lebanon crisis in 2006, we were mostly dealing with Lebanon and Israel, of course fighting each other, but mostly the whole Arab countries inside their, in their own group trying to help us to find a solution, because mostly at the time in the UN, the United States and France trying to reach an agreement and propose a draft resolution on that issue. In the last events that took place, you had the initiatives that were � Qatar, with the help of Syria. On the other side, Egypt trying to find another way through, and in between, I would say Saudi Arabia with some other countries trying also to find a compromise. Then if you look on the other side, you had of course some European countries like Spain, Germany, and France, but you had also Turkey, that tried in the best possible to help to find a solution. And then you even had at one point some new partners like Brazil, who came in and tried to see if they could help one way or another. So the number of factors down now, wishing to participate in the Middle East is in itself a factor of complexity, even if each one of them wants to help.

The second factor of complexity as far as I can see is the fact that today, if we look at the whole region, it�s not only anymore about the peace process mostly in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it�s getting more and more also about Iraq on one side, Iran and the old issue of the nuclear program, and also other issues that may have arised around that country. To some extent, one could see also a link appearing there with the Afghanis� and Pakistanis� problem. Which means that the links increasingly appearing between those different issues makes it also more and more complicated to find a quick answer. You�ll remember that for many years we used to say find a solution to the peace process and everything will just by miracle find its place inside the area. And I think we�re still saying that a lot, and I�m not so sure in fact if we look at the reality of today in the Middle East, that we can guarantee with great assurance that if we find a solution quickly in the whole question of Israel and the Palestinians, all the other problems that arise in the region will just disappear by chance. I think it�s becoming more and more complicated today, and rather than trying to go for a solution on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it is necessary nowadays to look at all those issues that are there as some sort of single front in which we have to advance in the best way possible, trying to push our cards and our assets in each one of those difficult challenges that we�re facing, to try to find a solution at the end that will put all the pieces of the puzzle in the right perspective, in the right direction. I think that if we don�t look at the Middle East through that way, through those lenses, that way of looking at it, we�re in for more difficult situations as we go along.

And I think the third observation of course, which is an obvious one if you look at history, but I think you need it. You need to say it and to emphasize it as we go along, is that for the last thirty or forty years the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was mostly what we tend to call in France a nationalistic conflict. A conflict between one state that wanted to defend its sovereignty and its security, and another population on the other side that wanted to exist also and have its own state. It was a rather simple approach through which all the different members of the Arab community could define themselves in which was a rather simple way to go ahead. I think that today things have complicated themselves. This nationalistic approach is still there very much. This perspective is still there. But it is now entwined and intermingled with another issue that is appearing more and more, in which is of course the divisions inside the Muslim world, Muslim community, between the Sunnis and the Shiites. The increasing influence of Iran, the part it wants to play, and the responsibility it wants to get in the region, and the fact that faced with that challenge, more and more countries inside that area are trying to find their own way. Just think about Syria, think about Iraq. We could name many others, of course, I won�t go into that. And the fact that even political movements inside each one of those countries, think about Hezbollah, think about Hamas also, have to position themselves and to find their own position with regard to the Iranian influence, just increase and complicate even more the whole situation. And I think that this has to be looked at with more and more attention as we go along.

And � with a few remarks to end my very short observation. I think if we want to go ahead we need of course two or three things. The first one is to be aware that time is of the essence if we want to find a solution. I think we have lost too much time of course in the Middle East, all of us together. This is, as I think Henry Kissenger very frequently reminds us, this is a problem, the peace process problem, of which we know more or less all of us the solution. It can be written rather quickly. And this is maybe one of the only case in our history since the Second World War where we�re facing a crisis that has been going on for so long, where we all know more or less what the solution may be. And I think that if we don�t accept that situation and face that challenge now with the understanding that if we don�t act quickly, things are going to get worse and worse. We are lacking a sense of responsibility as we�re going ahead. The recent events in Gaza � I think we all have to be aware of that, even in my country and other countries in Europe � have had a major impact � and among the Muslims in our national community in France, but I think elsewhere also, in other parts of Europe � this has attracted a lot of attention, and this has not remained an unseen and this will stay with us now for some time.

The second remark I would say is that I think we really have to work, all of us, very closely. The previous speakers talked a lot about the Saudi leadership, there�s no doubt that the Saudis are absolutely essential in trying to find a solution, and we need all to work with them very closely. The United States, of course, also. The Europeans, all the countries in the area, but I think that if we don�t coordinate our initiatives, and not try all together in short time to try to see how we can all push a solution altogether in the right direction, we�re going to face more difficulties in the future.

And my last observation, a quick one also, is that let�s take into account what is the reality of that region today. I think quite too often when we�re trying to discuss among diplomats what should be done, too often we go back to the old clich�, and to the prejudice that we have with regard to the different countries in the area and the different issues we�re facing, as we�re looking at them ten or fifteen years ago. In the global world of today, reality is changing very quickly. What we can say, for instance, about the Hamas as it was about two or three years ago, is maybe not exactly the same today. It�s the same with the Hezbollah also, and what happened in 2006 during the Lebanon crisis, left some lessons to the Hezbollah, and this movement is moving in certain directions, maybe some good ones, some more worse ones, but we have to be aware of what is the reality on the ground. Think about Syria, think about Jordan, think about all the countries in the area, think even about Iran, which is facing in the next few days a very important election. In all those countries, in all those movements, things are moving. The position of the different players are moving. The things are changing, the reality is a very mobile one, and I think we have to be aware of that if we want to be able to catch with reality as it goes on. Thank you very much.

[Visit the SUSRIS Special Section "U.S.-Saudi Relations in a World Without Equilibrium" for the transcripts from this and other panels and additional resources.]

Session Three Video

Courtesy New America Foundation

Video MP3

Speaker Biography:

His Excellency Pierre Vimont
Ambassador of France to the United States
Former Chief of Staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of France

His Excellency Pierre Vimont is the ambassador of France to the United States. Prior to his appointment by President Nicolas Sarkozy, Vimont was Chief of Staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2002. He was previously Ambassador and Permanent Representative of France to the European Union from 1999 to 2002. Pierre Vimont joined the Foreign Service in 1977. He was first posted to London where he was First Secretary from 1978 to 1981. He then spent the next four years with the Press and Information Office at the Quai d�Orsay. From 1985 to 1986 he was seconded to the Institute for East-West Security in New York. Returning to Europe, he served as second counselor with the Permanent Representative of France to the European Communities in Brussels (1986-1990), and was subsequently chief of staff to the minister delegate for European affairs from 1990 to 1993. He went on to serve as director for development and scientific, technical and educational cooperation and then for cultural, scientific and technical relations. He was deputy director general of the entire Cultural, Scientific and Technical Relations Department from 1996 to 1997 and later director of European Cooperation from 1997 to 1999.

Source: New America Foundation / Committee for International Trade

AGENDA

Panel III: Through Saudi Arabia's Window and Other Lenses: Middle East Dynamics and Stakeholder Challenges

Related Items - US-Saudi Relations:

Saudi-US Relations Information Service
eMail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.Saudi-US-Relations.org
� 2009
Users of the The Saudi-US Relations Information Service are assumed to have read and agreed to our terms and conditions and legal disclaimer contained on the SUSRIS.org Web site.