FRENCH RESPONSE ON SEPT 1-2 GYMNICH: CHIRAC AND FM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005864

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2015
TAGS: KPAL PREL IR CH TU IZ VE CY FR EUN
SUBJECT: FRENCH RESPONSE ON SEPT 1-2 GYMNICH: CHIRAC AND FM
TO MEET AUG 31 TO DETERMINE FRENCH LINE ON TURKEY

REF: A. STATE 153187


B. PARIS 5818

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Josiah B. Rosenblatt for re
asons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: According to Pascal LeDeunff, deputy of the
MFA's Common Foreign and Security Policy unit, the French
have tabled a paper for discussion on Turkey at the September
1-2 EU Gymnich meeting. LeDeunff told us Aug. 30 that FM
Douste-Blazy will meet with President Chirac Aug. 31 to
define the position the French will take to Wales on
Thursday. LeDeunff confirmed that the French will want an EU
counterstatement to the Turkish July 29 declaration of
non-recognition of Cyprus. He reiterated familiar French
arguments that the declaration constitutes a 'new element' in
the accession process for Turkey that poses questions of both
a juridical and political nature, and that it is contrary to
the spirit of membership not to recognize all EU member
states. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Poloff delivered reftel points Aug. 22 to MFA CFSP
deputy Pascal Le Deunff and DAS-equivalent for enlargement
Caroline Ferrari. We followed up in conversation on August
30 with LeDeunff and Claire Raulin, desk officer for
enlargement (Ferrari is out of the office until Monday).

Turkey
--------------


3. (C) Both LeDeunff and Raulin told us that the French have
not yet finalized their approach for the Thursday-Friday
Gymnich. LeDeunff told us that FM Douste-Blazy will meet
with President Chirac tomorrow to determine the line France
will take. He also noted that France has already presented
to the British Presidency a paper for discussion at the
Gymnich. Raulin referred us to President Chirac's reported
remarks on Friday to European Commission President Barroso
and his Monday address to France's assembled Ambassadors
(reftel B). In both instances, Chirac noted that France will
seek a 'clarification' from Turkey on its declaration of
non-recognition. His remarks, Raulin said, show the
direction in which France will proceed. According to Raulin,
the GOF seeks a "profound and precise" debate to evaluate
Turkey's intentions and the juridical and political effect of
its declaration (she once again told us that the MFA's
judicial section has not/not concluded its legal analysis of
the text). France would also carefully study Cyprus'
assessment, she said.


4. (C) LeDeunff, meanwhile, said France seeks a strong
counter-statement from the EU that notes that the EU-25 do
not/not agree with the Turkish declaration. According to Le
Monde, France will be asking for the adoption of a
declaration that would permit the EU to verify, as of 2006,
that Ankara is complying fully with the customs union and
that it will begin negotiations with the 25 in the spirit of
recognizing Cyprus over the longer term.

Croatian EU Candidacy
--------------


5. (C) Raulin said that while 'certain countries' wanted to
link the beginning of negotiations for Croatia with those for
Turkey, France maintains the 'principled position' of
considering each candidacy on its own merits and will not
seek to link the two.


Middle East/Gaza Disengagement
--------------


6. (C) We raised the Gaza disengagement and Iraq points with
LeDeunff, as well as his counterparts in the MFA Middle
East/North Africa Directorate. MFA DAS-equivalent for
Egypt/Levant Christian Jouret reaffirmed the GOF's support
for the efforts of Quartet Special Envoy James Wolfensohn,
who will meet with President Chirac and and FM Douste-Blazy
in Paris September 1 before departing to brief Gymnich
ministers in Wales. While confirming that the EU was looking
for ways in which it could support Gaza disengagement, Jouret
questioned whether EU technical assistance in assisting with
removal of rubble from destroyed settler homes was the most
pressing priority, particularly for the Palestinians.
LeDeunff meanwhile stressed French support for greater EU
involvement in the security sector, particularly
reorganization of the Palestinian police forces.

Iraq
--------------


7. (U) LeDeunff stressed French insistence on maintaining
the electoral calendar for Iraq's political process without
specifying any support that the EU or the French would
provide to enable that to happen. The MFA Iraq desk,
meanwhile, stressed to us that the EU had already pledged
support for the three-stage political process in Iraq,
beginning with the January ballot, October referendum, and
December permanent elections. In this context, the GoF would
continue to channel support for the Independent Electoral
Commission via its EU contributions.

Iran
--------------


8. (C) LeDeunff noted that the EU-3 POLDIRS will meet on
August 31 and will of course discuss the likely conclusions
of El-Baradei's report due out on Saturday, Sept. 3.
LeDeunff said that there are clearly 'problems' with Iran's
positions, but he underlined that France does not/not support
an early special BOG meeting. France believes Iran can be
discussed at the already-scheduled Sept. 19 BOG meeting.

China
--------------


9. (C) LeDeunff noted that China will not be discussed at
the Gymnich; he said that the French continue to believe that
the arms embargo on China is an anachronism that must be
lifted. Poloff emphasized that the USG continues to believe
that lifting the arms embargo would send the wrong message to
the PRC and could potentially endanger U.S. troops in the
region.

Venezuela
--------------


10. (U) LeDeunff said Venezuela would not be discussed at the
Gymnich.

Other


11. (U) LeDeunff noted that the ministers will also discuss
Avian flu at the Gymnich.
STAPLETON