 World should not be dominated by China-US 'rivalry': Macron United Nations, United States (AFP) Sept 22, 2020 - World leaders must not let themselves be dominated by a power struggle between the US and China, French President Emmanuel Macron told the UN on Tuesday, calling for a "modern new consensus" on tackling global challenges. "The world today cannot be reduced to the rivalry between China and the United States, irrespective of the global weight of these great powers," Macron told the UN General Assembly by video. Borrowing a term that describes a duet in ballet, he said: "We do not have to settle for a 'pas de deux' that would make us only the rueful spectators of a collective powerlessness." Macron has already warned that Washington's retreat from the global stage will require Europe to forge its own common defense strategy, and reduce its alliance on key technologies currently supplied by US or Chinese giants. "The complete dependence on certain powers, with regards to technologies, food or industry, creates vulnerabilities that no longer allow the balances that go hand in hand with global stability," Macron told the UN. The coronavirus crisis, he warned, has further undermined support for multilateralism and encouraged the willingness of some nations to ignore UN injunctions or international law. "There will surely be a cure one day for this pandemic. But there will not be a miracle cure for this destruction of the contemporary order," he said. "This pandemic must be an electric shock for our organization," he said, urging leaders to seize a chance to "clearly lay out our choices and build new alliances." France will work on deepening its cooperation with UN partners to ensure "that the foundations of our organization are not swept away by the pandemic." "Multilateralism is not simply an act of faith -- it's an operational necessity," he said. "No country will get out of this ordeal on its own."
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French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that Europe would not compromise with the United States over Washington's move to reactivate sanctions on Iran, warning the so-called snapback could undermine the UN Security Council and increase Middle East tensions.
Macron assailed the "maximum pressure" policy of US President Donald Trump, saying it had failed to curb Tehran's interference in the region or ensure it would not acquire a nuclear weapon.
"We will not compromise on the activation of a mechanism that the United States is not in a position to activate on its own after leaving the agreement," Macron told the UN General Assembly's 75th session by video from Paris.
"This would undermine the unity of the Security Council and the integrity of its decisions, and it would run the risk of further aggravating tensions in the region," he warned.
The Trump administration says it is "snapping back" virtually all UN sanctions on Iran lifted under the nuclear accord with Tehran, negotiated under former president Barack Obama but which Trump abandoned in 2018.
Washington says it can reimpose the sanctions because it is still a "participant" in the accord, a position denounced by Europe as legally untenable.
Trump has insisted that one of the inadequacies of the nuclear deal is the failure to address Iran's ballistic missile program or its interventions in other Middle East countries.
In a nod to Washington, Macron said additional frameworks were needed for effectively dealing with the Iranian nuclear program, adding there needed to be a "capacity to complete" the 2015 accord.
These would ensure that "we will provide responses to Iran's ballistic activity, but also to its destabilization in the region."
Macron insisted that France, along with its European allies Britain and Germany, would keep up its demand for "full implementation" of the Iran nuclear deal.
He added that they would "not accept the violations committed by Iran," which has ramped up its nuclear activity in response to the US withdrawal.
Macron has also been at loggerheads with Turkey over its hydrocarbon research activities in the eastern Mediterranean, which have increased tensions with its traditional rival Greece.
The French president has exchanged angry words with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, though the tone has moderated in recent days with all sides favoring dialogue.
France is also fuming over Turkey's military intervention in Libya.
"We respect Turkey, we are ready for dialogue with it, but we expect it to respect European sovereignty, international law and provide clarifications on its action in Libya, as in Syria," Macron said.
In a clear reference to Erdogan's tough talking, he added: "Insults are ineffective. And all these words and all these acts have no place in responsible relations between states."
Macron and Erdogan were due Tuesday to have their first telephone talks since the crisis in the eastern Mediterranean erupted.
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