French Republic
President Jacques Chirac
France, which has a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, has been one of the leading opponents of the U.S.-led coalition’s unilateral action against Iraq. Jacques Chirac was first elected president in 1995 and, prior to that, served as mayor of Paris. The following is excerpted from President Chirac’s address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, 2003. Sergio Vieira de Mello personified the honor of the United Nations. Murdered on August 19 along with members of his staff, we shall long remember him. Let us dedicate this session to this great servant of peace.The United…
