SEPTEMBER 11-12 VISIT OF INDIAN PM SINGH TO FRANCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 006342

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2015
TAGS: PREL ENRG KNNP PARM IN IR PK UK GM FR
SUBJECT: SEPTEMBER 11-12 VISIT OF INDIAN PM SINGH TO FRANCE

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


1. (C) SUMMARY. On September 16, poloff met with MFA India
desk officer to discuss Indian PM Manmohan Singh's meetings
with the French President, Prime Minister, Minister of
Defense and others September 11-13. The meetings, aimed at
strengthening an already close bilateral relationship between
India and France, focused on further promoting strategic
partnership in the fields of defense industries and
commercial trade (to include the civil nuclear sector); and
on affirming French support of a permanent UN Security
Council seat for India. The desk officer said that the PM
seemed "optimistic" on the subject of Pakistan and "quiet" on
the subject of Iran. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) MFA India desk officer, Luis Vassy, said Singh's
brief stopover (September 11-13) in Paris included a greet at
the airport by French Minister of Defense, Michele
Alliot-Marie; a breakfast meeting with leading French
businesspeople (and French Foreign Trade Minister Christine
Legarde); and meetings with French PM Dominique de Villepin
and French President Jacques Chirac.


3. (C) Vassy said that the U.S.-India relationship announced
on July 18 corresponded with French views that have existed
"forever" regarding India. That is, cooperative engagement
that promotes stability, spurs economic growth and
discourages proliferation is the best solution for dealing
with India. The fact that the U.S. has opened the door to
such cooperation, he added, has allowed France to discuss
civil nuclear trade with India, an area that the French have
long wanted to explore. India's civil nuclear program, while
high on the agenda, was just one subject among many in the
realm of French-Indian trade relations discussed during
Singh's stay. India and France, in a joint statement made
on September 12, expressed their intention to double
bilateral trade within 5 years with special attention paid to
the following "priority sectors:" infrastructure, information
technology, pharmaceuticals, environment, advanced and new
technologies, food processing, automobiles and aeronautics.
India and France also reaffirmed their willingness to further
pursue their cooperation in the space sector. The visit
provided the Indian PM a forum through which to officially
confirm the purchase of six Scorpene submarines and 43 Airbus
aircraft.


4. (U) Vassy said that Indian press coverage of the visit
was much more comprehensive than French coverage, which did
not give the level of detail found in Indian reports.
(COMMENT: We found French coverage of the visit to be
overwhelmingly positive; it often highlighted that France and
India - like the U.S. and India - enjoy a special
relationship. The Singh-Chirac meeting also garnered
attention due to the fact that it was Chirac's first official
duty since his brief hospitalization for a "minor vascular
incident." END COMMENT).


5. (C) Vassy said that the issue of Pakistan came up briefly
in Singh's meetings with Chirac and Villepin. He said that
the Indian outlook seemed "optimistic" on the subject but
that Singh still asked the French to deliver an official
request to Pakistan to cease incursions into Kashmir.


6. (C) When asked if Iran was discussed during Singh's
visit, Vassy replied that the French made a point of
presenting the EU-3's position on Iran's nuclear activities.
Singh, he said, did not offer a clear reply. Vassy added
that the purpose of discussing Iran was not to elicit a
response so much as help Singh understand the EU-3 position.
Vassy also said that the India-Iran bilateral relationship,
to include the proposed India-Pakistan-Iran pipeline, was not
discussed.


7. (U) Vassy said that the next major step in promoting the
France-India relationship will come when Chirac visits India
in February of next year. Vassy said that that the visit,
scheduled for February 20 and 21, would probably come shortly
after President Bush's visit to India.
STAPLETON