UNITED NATIONS, March 15 (UPI) -- France's prime minister said timetables are key during international crises, including handling the Iraq war.
"There is no solution for any crisis without collective will, support from the international community and the United Nations, and a very strict timetable," Dominique de Villepin told reporters Thursday. "That's why I always said, concerning Iraq, everything must begin with a timetable. "It's always better to prepare for the withdrawal of foreign troops throughout a full year than to decide in a couple of minutes that it's time to go," he added.
After meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, de Villepin said he was pleased to see a resolution introduced in the U.N. Security Council that proposed new sanctions on Iran. The resolution was the result of six-party talks including China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
"These sanctions are not aimed at the Iranian people," de Villepin said. "They are aimed at the Iranian leadership."
Regarding the breakdown in peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel, de Villepin said it is time for the world to reengage in the Middle East.
"The deadlock in the peace process is bad for everyone," he said. "Bad for Israel, bad for the Palestinians, bad for the region and bad for the international community.
"Five years ago we had one crisis in the Middle East -- between Israel and Palestine. Today we have four major crises. And if we don't realize that, these four crises may tomorrow be one huge crises that will endanger world security."
