In fact our sources tell us Bongo made a discreet 24-hour visit to Paris ahead of the summit and had a private meeting with President Jacques Chirac...
His friend President Jacques Chirac whom he visited on 11 October is likely to listen courteously to his complaints about his fellow leaders; relations with France are still prickly over the matter of Elf-Gabon which was drawn into magistrate Eva Joly's inquiry into illicit payments by French parent company Elf-Aquitaine (AC Vol 38 No 10)...
In the competitive bidding for equipment for Girassol both companies won a share with a helping hand from President Jacques Chirac who visited in July for talks with President José Eduardo dos Santos...
Then he flew on to Paris to follow up on President Jacques Chirac's recent visit to Luanda (during which the two presidents had an extended closed-door meeting with Elf-Aquitaine's Chief Executive Philippe Jaffré)...
Eyadéma clearly intends once more to tough it out but as long as France continues to support the EU line (President Jacques Chirac neglected to send a congratulatory telegram) he will have a serious international problem...
Although on 30 June President Jacques Chirac on a tour of southern Africa promised to help expedite an agreement with the IMF (he has good channels to fellow Frenchman and IMF Managing Director Michel Camdessus) it will be difficult to convince the Fund to approve a standby agreement without a proper auditofSonangol' spaymentchannels...
Eyadéma's best hope is to use his personal relationship with French President Jacques Chirac to keep the Paris aid taps turned on...
Vol 39 No 13 |
- FRANCE
- AFRICA
The Bundesbank regards this as sophistry and Wim Duisenberg the Dutchman who will be the first head of the European Central Bank is seen in Paris as the Bundesbank's man which is one reason why President Jacques Chirac tried (and failed) to put Frenchman Jean-Claude Trichet in the job instead...
Mayor of Bordeaux as well as ex-Premier of France Juppé remains a channel to President Jacques Chirac...
Despite the Socialist government' sreforms Maïnassara' schampionsinParisinclude Fernand Wibaux number two to the late Jacques Foccart in President Jacques Chirac's ‘unofficial' Africa policy cell at the Elysée Palace...
