Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PARIS1001
2005-02-16 17:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

HAITI: FRENCH UNLIKELY TO CHANGE VIEWS ON HAITI

Tags:  EAID PREL EFIN HA FR 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

161702Z Feb 05
UNCLAS PARIS 001001 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EB/IFD/OFD (GARBER & WARD),WHA/CAR AND EUR/WE
STATE PASS USAID/LAC
PORT-AU-PRINCE FOR ECON (REIMER)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREL EFIN HA FR
SUBJECT: HAITI: FRENCH UNLIKELY TO CHANGE VIEWS ON HAITI
MINISTERIAL

REF: A. A) MERTEN-WARD E-MAILS 15 FEBRUARY 05 AND PREVIOUS


B. B) STATE 25099

UNCLAS PARIS 001001

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EB/IFD/OFD (GARBER & WARD),WHA/CAR AND EUR/WE
STATE PASS USAID/LAC
PORT-AU-PRINCE FOR ECON (REIMER)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREL EFIN HA FR
SUBJECT: HAITI: FRENCH UNLIKELY TO CHANGE VIEWS ON HAITI
MINISTERIAL

REF: A. A) MERTEN-WARD E-MAILS 15 FEBRUARY 05 AND PREVIOUS


B. B) STATE 25099


1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: French MFA and Cooperation
(USAID-equivalent) officials report that any decision to
change the venue or date of the proposed ministerial meeting
on development assistance for Haiti would have to be taken by
Foreign Minister Barnier or even President Chirac. If we
hope to turn around the GOF on the details of this proposed
ministerial, the GOF will have to receive similar strong
messages about the impracticability of Cayenne as a venue and
the conflicts regarding the date from other key countries.
End Summary and comment.


2. (C) On 15 November Poloff called on DAS-Equavalent for
Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, Gilles Bienvenu
and Haiti Desk Officer Pierre Filatoff on the proposed
Cayenne ministerial on Haiti development assistance
coordination. Bienvenu indicated that the U.S. was not the
only country with concerns as to the choice of location. The
Brazilians and others had also requested a change of venue
for logistical reasons. Nevertheless, Bienvenu highlighted
what he saw as Cayenne's advantages, saying it was not a bad
place and that the attendees would be in and out within one
day. When Poloff questioned this, Bienvenu admitted that for
a one-day meeting a more convenient location might be better.
Any decision on a change of locale would have to be made at
either the Presidential or the Foreign Minister's level, he
said.


3. (SBU) Regarding the meeting itself, Bienvenu explained
that it would be small -- only a few countries and three or
four representatives at a high level from each. The purpose
was communication between the important actors to discuss
concrete actions that could be taken quickly. The goal would
be to choose a few projects (not too many, or it would get
bogged down) and put them into action. One example Bienvenu
cited was a French-Mexican-US supported hospital in
Port-de-Paix that could receive electricity from one country,
supplies from another, and infrastructure from a third. He
also envisioned combining the meeting with press/radio
coverage -- the people of Port-de Paix would hear the
announcement on the radio and see the results, showing the
Haitians that the international community didn't just promise
money, but also followed through. Bienvenu underlined his
view that the whole process would be symbolic as well as
substantive, although the goal would be to focus on high
impact, short-term projects
in order to actually get them done.


4. (SBU) Bienvenu also questioned participating in a
conference call before the 24 February meeting in Paris, but
gave poloff a contact name and number "should someone want to
talk to him before the 24th." The meeting on the 24th is to
lay out the objectives, methods, and projects for discussion
on 18 March.


5. (SBU) At Cooperation (USAID-equavelent),Econ Chief heard
a similar message. Roland Navaro told Econ Chief that
"France would be represented at the ministerial level, but
each country would chose its own delegation." He emphasized
that aside from a minister, the GOF envisioned that "a
technical person, familiar with the projects" in Haiti should
also be part of any delegation. This knowledge would be
important as the discussion would involve concrete plans and
projects. He also indicated that he would be interested in
participating in the conference call proposed for 22
February. He noted that any decision to modify the level or
change the venue would have to be made at the Ministerial or
even Presidential level. He indicated that Minister Barnier
was personally committed to doing this in Cayenne.


6. (SBU) Navaro also reported that he had just returned from
Haiti and that he and his colleagues were very impressed by
the French-U.S. coordination in Haiti. He said that both
countries should look at ways of making this cooperation more
well known both within Haiti (to show the Haitians that the
international community is unified in wanting to help them)
and in our own countries (as an example of what can be
accomplished by working together).
Leach