1. Israel - Statement by M. Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development (Paris, 02/10/2014)

We solemnly condemn the Israeli authorities' decision to approve the construction of 2,610 housing units in Givat Hamatos.

If this decision is upheld, it will mark the first time in more than 15 years that a new settlement has been established in East Jerusalem. This announcement is a direct threat to the two-state solution and Jerusalem's intended status as the capital of those two states, at a time when all efforts must be directed towards achieving peace.

We urge the Israeli authorities to reverse this decision. One cannot claim to advocate one solution while at the same time acting against it without triggering consequences, particularly on the part of the European Union./.

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2. Ebola virus - Guinea - Joint statement by M. Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, and Mme Marisol Touraine, Minister of Social Affairs, Health and Women's Rights (Paris, 02/10/2014)

The government steps up France's commitment to supporting Guinea in the face of the Ebola epidemic

The Ebola virus epidemic is continuing to worsen in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. In line with the French President's announcement, Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Marisol Touraine, Minister of Social Affairs, Health and Women's Rights, and Annick Girardin, Minister of State for Development and Francophony, are stepping up France's commitment to supporting the Guinean authorities in the face of the health crisis by establishing an Ebola treatment centre in Guinea to treat the people most directly affected by the virus.

The centre will be managed by the French Red Cross with significant support from the government (Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Defence and the Interior), notably through the provision of health workers and a medical evacuation system. The facility will have 50 beds and a biological analysis laboratory set up by the Institut Pasteur as part of the project entrusted to the National Alliance for Life Sciences and Health.

The establishment of this centre falls within the framework of France's comprehensive action plan, which now represents an effort of almost euro35 million in bilateral aid for Guinea alone and more than twice that amount if we include our multilateral contributions.

The French government has expressed its solidarity with the countries affected by the epidemic. It is mobilizing its efforts in the international fight against this threat to global public health. President Alpha Condé, who was received by the French President on Monday, reaffirmed how much he appreciated France's support./.

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