AUSTRALIA GROUP: FRENCH GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO USG

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 002471 SIPDIS FOR NP/CBM E.O. 12958: DECL: 10 YEARS TAGS: PARM PREL MNUC ETTC KSCA FR SY GR SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA GROUP: FRENCH GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO USG PROPOSALS ON PUMPS AND REGIONAL NONPROLIFERATION REF: A. PARIS 1708 ¶B. STATE 41247 ¶C. STATE 39371 Classified By: EST COUNSELOR ROBERT W. DRY FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) (D) AND (H) ¶1. (C) In response to 11 March 2005 Embassy EST officer demarche regarding U.S. Government (USG) proposals in advance of the April 2005 Australia Group (AG) Plenary, EST officer received a 11 April call from French Ministry of Foreign Affairs BWC desk officer, Gabriel Bernier. He informed EST officer that France would fully support the USG proposals regarding placing pumps and related components on the common control list for chemical manufacturing facilities and equipment, as well as the USG position on Regional Nonproliferation as described reftel b. ¶2. (C) In regard to USG proposal to add twenty-five biological agents to the AG core list, Bernier told EST officer that French government experts were still reviewing the list of proposed agents, and that the French would provide a formal response no later than 15 April. LEACH