FRENCH SUPPORT BRINGING BURMA BEFORE THE UNSC

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 007953 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2015 TAGS: PREL PHUM BN BM FR UNSC SUBJECT: FRENCH SUPPORT BRINGING BURMA BEFORE THE UNSC REF: A. STATE 211115 B. PARIS 7506 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Josiah B. Rosenblatt. Reas ons 1.4b,d Poloff informed French MFA on November 21 about USG assessment that the necessary nine votes were in hand to move for a UNSC briefing on the situation in Burma (Ref A). IO desk officer Benoit Guidee reiterated French support for the initiative. Guidee repeated the French lacked certainty about how Benin would vote, given previously reported pressure from Algeria and Tanzania to adopt a common African position in opposition (Ref B). However, if Tanzania was now on board, as the USG calculated, then Benin could join, without reservation, in calling for the briefing. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Stapleton