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French foreign minister leaving to head Constitutional Court | French foreign minister leaving to head Constitutional Court |
(about 1 hour later) | |
PARIS — France’s top diplomat is leaving his post to be named chief of the Constitutional Council, France’s top court making sure that bills comply with the constitution. | |
French President Francois Hollande formally proposed the nomination of Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius to the Constitutional Council in a statement Wednesday. The 69-year-old Fabius had been in office since 2012. | |
His successor is not known yet but a government reshuffling is expected in the coming days. Environment and Energy Minister Segolene Royal and former Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, two of France’s most experienced Socialist figures, are widely considered as favorites to take the position. | |
Fabius told iTele television his one regret as foreign minister is that “the world didn’t follow” France’s position on Syria. Paris was pushing for a military intervention with the U.S. against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime during the summer of 2013. | |
He said “we should have had taken action.” | |
Fabius also voiced France’s tough position during the nuclear negotiations with Iran. | |
For years Fabius also tried to help revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, as a strong supporter of the “two-state solution.” He recently said France will recognize a Palestinian state if the negotiations face a deadlock. | |
His international stature soared last December, when almost 200 countries reached an agreement at the U.N. climate conference in Paris. Fabius, host of the two-week talks, was praised for his patience and listening skills. When he gaveled the deal they gave him a standing ovation. | |
“It’s rare in life to be able to move things forward at the planet level,” a visibly moved Fabius said. | |
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |