C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 007225

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2015
TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM EAID PGOV BO FR EUN
SUBJECT: FRENCH RESPOND TO U.S. BELARUS POLICY DEMARCHE,
COMMENT ON BILATERAL SECURITY TALKS WITH RUSSIA

REF: STATE 188900

Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, FOR REAS
ONS 1.4 B/D


1. (C) On October 20, Poloff spoke with Aurelia Bouchez,
DAS-equivalent for Russia and the former Soviet space, to
discuss reftel demarche on U.S. policy toward Belarus.
Bouchez said France was pleased with U.S./EU cooperation
regarding Belarus, and called for further in-depth
consultations during the pre-election period. Although it
had some bilateral programs, France addressed Belarus issues
largely within the EU, said Bouchez. France is pushing for
an EU focus on Belarus civil society, believing this is the
best long-term solution to encourage the growth of democracy.
In this, said Bouchez, the EU and the U.S. have
complementary approaches. Bouchez added that the EU needed
to engage Belarus civil society and push for democratization
in a spirit of complete openness, so that neither Belarus nor
Russia could accuse Western countries of encouraging
insurrection. As an aside, Bouchez intimated that France was
worried certain EU countries "in the region" were covertly
supporting opposition parties. This, she said, was "very
dangerous." (Note: From the context and examples Bouchez
gave, it appeared she was referring to Poland. End note)


2. (C) Turning to recent bilateral talks between France and
Russia on security issues, Bouchez said FM Douste-Blazy had
raised French concerns regarding Belarus, to which Russian FM
Lavrov replied that Polish minorities in Belarus were better
treated than Russian minorities in the EU Baltic states.
Despite this and several other "heavy" exchanges, Bouchez
said the talks went well and covered the full range of
current international issues, including Iran, Iraq, North
Korea and Russian cooperation with the EU. Russia complained
again, said Bouchez, that the EU-Russia relationship was not
as strong as the NATO-Russia relationship. Both countries
agreed on the need to conduct negotiations that would focus
on improving EU-Russian cooperation by 2007, although no
format was agreed upon.

3. (C) Regarding the "frozen conflicts," Lavrov again clearly
warned that Kosovo independence could lead to similar results
in the Georgian separatist regions of South Ossetia and
Abhkazia. According to Bouchez, FM Lavrov also commented on
Uzbekistan, saying that Russia didn't approve of Karimov's
regime but expected that Uzbekistan's increased involvement
in the CIS would give Russia greater influence to help
further democracy in Uzbekistan. Greater Uzbek ties to the
CIS and Russia are exactly what France fears, said Bouchez.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
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