FRANCE "CAUTIOUS" ON EU-LED BMO MISSION, RECEIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001611

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV PBTS RS GG MD FR OSCE
SUBJECT: FRANCE "CAUTIOUS" ON EU-LED BMO MISSION, RECEIVE
RUSSIAN PROPOSAL ON TRANSNISTRIA

REF: PARIS 1178

Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, FOR REAS
ONS 1.4 B/D


1. (C) Pierre Cochard, DAS-equivalent for Russia and the
former Soviet states, told Poloff March 10 that France was
not firmly opposed to a EU-led BMO in Georgia, but that it
was being "cautious" based on the swirl of other options
available and ESDP funding constraints. Cochard bemoaned the
lack of a unified front with the Russians regarding the BMO;
he thought it still possible that Russia could be convinced
to acquiesce to an OSCE monitoring and training mission along
the Georgian border with Russia. He said the EU was
discussing three options: 1) a modest reinforcement of the EU
Mission in Georgia; 2) a full-fledged EU monitoring mission;
and 3) a combined EU monitoring and training mission. The
EU, said Cochard, would probably decide on the first option
as an interim measure, and later, if necessary, it would
consider the second and third options. He reiterated that
France, despite reports to the contrary, was not
categorically opposed to the second option if circumstances
warranted such a decision.


2. (C) Cochard raised reftel demarche on a Russian proposal
for bilateral dialogue on Transnistria, saying that the MFA
had recently received the expected Russian demarche. The
Russians cited the Kozak Plan, said Cochard, which he did not
believe they had raised when delivering a similar demarche in
Washington. As reported in reftel, Cochard said the MFA
would accept the Russian offer, believing it would be
difficult to reject such a proposal for dialogue. French
goals for these bilateral consultations would be to convince
the Russians to accept an expanded seven-party dialogue, to
include the EU and the U.S, said Cochard.
Leach