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