FRENCH RESPONSE ON MARCH 16 GAERC DEMARCHE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001727

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2015
TAGS: ETTC PREL PTER HR CH LE KPAL RS GG FR SY EUN
SUBJECT: FRENCH RESPONSE ON MARCH 16 GAERC DEMARCHE

REF: A. STATE 39909

B. STATE 39018

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt for reaso
ns 1.4 (b) and (d).

1.(U) Post delivered reftel points to Pascal LeDeunff, MFA
deputy director for CFSP, and Caroline Ferrari,
DAS-equivalent for European External Relations at the MFA on
March 9 and followed up in conversation on March 14 and 15.

CHINA ARMS EMBARGO
--------------


2. (C) LeDeunff said that discussion of the embargo is not
on the GAERC agenda. He also underlined the importance of EU
non-proliferation specialist Giannella's current visit to the
US, noting that there is a French diplomat seconded to
Solana's staff on the mission.

Middle East/Lebanon-Syria/Iran
--------------


3. (C) According to LeDeunff, the Middle East will be the
subject of the ministers' lunch, where three topics will be
covered: Lebanon, Middle East peace process, and Iran. On
Lebanon, he said the ministers would issue a conclusion that
would be firm, and will be the first time that the EU calls
for an "immediate and complete" implementation of UNSCR 1559.
He said the EU will also announce that it is ready to send a
mission to assist in election observing. He noted that it is
important that the EU remains mobilized, pressuring Damascus.



4. (C) On the Middle East peace process, LeDeunff said there
are no conclusions planned, but that the EU will emphasize
again that there exists a dynamic now which must be taken
advantage of. He said they would call for action on the
Solana plan, and for more assistance to the Palestinian
police. He noted that the French would continue to support
the organization of an international conference on the peace
process as called for in phase II of the roadmap.


5. (C) On Iran, LeDeunff said that FMs Barnier, Straw and
Fischer will provide a report on last week's working group
meeting in Geneva (NOTE: The EU-3 delivered a copy of the
report to the EU Presidency on March 3). He said the
Europeans hail the decision of the US to support their
negotiations to halt Iran's attempted production of nuclear
weapons.

CROATIA
--------------


6. (C) Ferrari noted that there was no agreement at the
COREPER to open negotiations with Croatia given its failure
to deliver Gotovina to the ICTY, and she said she believes
the GAERC will not come to consensus to open negotiations
either. She said that the French position would be against
setting a new target date since March 17 will (apparently)
arrive without compliance. She assessed that the FMs would
leave the decision to the heads of state at the European
Council on March 22-23. FM Barnier has also underlined
French opposition to opening negotiations now, noting on
March 14 in a conference on the Balkans that the conditions
established for Croatia's beginning negotiations had included
"total cooperation" with the ICTY--a condition, he said, that
no one would abandon. "There will be no shortcuts or
indulgences for any of these (former Yugoslav) countries,"
said Barnier.


7. (U) In addition, President Chirac's spokesman, speaking
after Chirac's Mar 14 meeting with Carla del Ponte, said,
"for France, the Union can take the decision to open these
negotiations when the Council certifies Croatia's full
cooperation with the ICTY." He also confirmed "France's
support for the court's action and notably for its efforts to
arrest fugitives."

UNCHR
--------------


8. (C) LeDeunff said that the UNCHR will not be discussed at
the ministers' level but said the EU will take several
initiatives at the CHR: on the death penalty, religious
intolerance, children, North Korea, Burma, Israeli
settlements, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Colombia, and Afghanistan.

MOLDOVA/GEORGIA
--------------


9. (C) LeDeunff said these subjects would not be discussed
at the GAERC at the ministerial level, but noted that the EU
continues to consider a mission to replace the BMO in Georgia.

SUDAN
--------------


10. (C) LeDeunff said he expects that the EU will continue
to press for quick adoption of the UNSC draft resolution,
including its accountability component. He said that if FM
Barnier speaks on the subject during the GAERC, he would
press his European colleagues to convince the United States
to close the dossier by acting quickly and supporting the
comprehensive resolution. LeDeunff also noted that the French
hope that the EU will increase its aid to the African Union,
given that the pronounced lack of aid.
Leach