FRANCE TO FOLLOW EU LEAD ON NGO DRAFT LAW DEMARCHE

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 008075 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/28/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV RS PHUM PINR SUBJECT: FRANCE TO FOLLOW EU LEAD ON NGO DRAFT LAW DEMARCHE REF: A. STATE 212899 ¶B. STATE 214783 ¶C. MOSCOW 14636 Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, FOR REAS ONS 1.4 B/D ¶1. (C) On November 22, Poloff delivered ref A demarche regarding a new Russian draft law on NGOs to Aurelia Bouchez, the MFA's DAS-equivalent for Russia and the former Soviet space. On November 29, Charles Denier, senior desk officer for Russia, told Poloff that France was, like the U.S., very concerned with the draft law. He said France was working with its EU partners on the text of a declaration highlighting European concerns, and that current plans called for discussing this declaration with the Russian MFA and possibly the Presidential Administration. It was very important, said Denier, to maintain pressure on the Russians regarding troubling aspects of the draft law. When asked if France planned any separate, bilateral demarches, Denier said no. France would address this issue through the EU. ¶2. (C) Poloff also delivered ref B demarche on planned U.S.-Russian consultations on regional CIS issues to Denier. Denier thanked us for the points, and said he would contact us if the MFA had any additional questions. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Stapleton