General’s visit to Paris stirs French outrage

Press, 6 December 1985, Page 6

General’s visit to Paris stirs French outrage

NZPA-Reuter Paris The Polish leader, Wojciech Jaruzelski, left Paris yesterday after a controversial meeting with the President, Mr Francois Mitterrand, which he described as “very positive” but which outraged French public opinion and irked the Prime Minister, Mr Laurent Fabius.

General Jaruzelski, who, arrived from Algiers for the visit, which was made at his own request, left later for l Tunis. It was his first meeting with a Western head of State since the restrictions on the Solidarity trade union movement in December, 1981. “It has allowed us to understand each other’s arguments and intentions and to find numerous points of mutual understanding,” the Polish President said after the meeting. . .

But Mr Fabius, a protege of Mr Mitterrand’s, told the National Assembly that he was troubled by the visit,which, he said,’ had‘ been' decided by Mr Mitterrand alone.

‘I was one .of those people who was profoundly upset by the events in Polandwd

who expressed, their disapproval,” he said. “For this reason, this visit, though short, has personally troubled me. “The decision to receive or not to receive a foreign head of State depends on the President and on him alone”. But Mr Fabius emphasised that the muchcriticised visit in no way signified approval of Poland’s human rights record. “As far as France is concerned, the meeting was in order to make our criticisms known,” Mr Fabius said.',’ ... '*

General Jaruzelski’s visit .to France provoked a chorus of protest from French political leaders and trade unions and astonish.ment from the country’s European allies. Explaining the trip to reporters, the External Relations Minister, Mr Roland Dumas, said that Mr Mitterrand’s talks with General Jaruzelski had been aimed at expressing France’s concern for human rights in Poland, i. - ’

General Jaruzelski met Mr Mitterrand for 80 minutes, although he had been forced to enter and

leave the president’s Elysee Palace by a rear entrance. ■ “I believe that General Jaruzelski will have left Paris with a sharper perception of the sentiments of the Government, the French people and the president towards the situation in Poland,” Mr Dumas said. But the general, speaking to reporters at the airport, said that his talks with Mr Mitterrand had focused on bilateral issues and would help bilateral ties and promote dcpente in Europe. ..

Asked if the case of Lech Walesa, head of the outlawed free trade union, Solidarity, had been raised, General Jaruzelski replied: “The question of Mr Walesa did. not come up and I believe that it is a problem which is not worth the consideration of heads of State.”

Earlier this year France invited Mr Walesa to attend a Government-sponsored human rights conference. He did not go, saying that Warsaw had refused to give him assurances that he would be allowed to return.

Opposition politicians and French trade union leaders said that they viewed the Polish leader — synonymous in their eyes with the repression of the Solidarity movement — as having scored a big propaganda victory.

General Jaruzelski said that he had not asked for financial aid. Diplomatic sources said last month that Poland was seeking SUSBOO million ($1.39 billion) worth of fresh Western credits. “I did not come here with my hand out. To interpret the visit like that would be an error, I have not asked for any aid.”