FRANCE TO DELIVER DEMARCHE ON RUSSIAN NGO LAW

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 008457 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2015 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM RS FR SUBJECT: FRANCE TO DELIVER DEMARCHE ON RUSSIAN NGO LAW REF: STATE 222292 Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, FOR REAS ONS 1.4 B/D (C) On December 14, Poloff discussed reftel demarche detailing U.S. concerns over the Russian NGO law with Charles Denier, senior Russia desk officer at the MFA. Denier said instructions had been sent yesterday, December 13, from the MFA to the French Embassy in Moscow to deliver a similar demarche to the Russian government. Denier said the MFA also instructed its Embassy to contact the U.S. and G8 partners to coordinate demarches. According to the MFA's latest information, said Denier, the second reading of the draft law by the Russian Duma would take place on December 21, not December 16. Denier said France would craft its message to avoid provoking Russian concerns that other G8 countries were organizing against it. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Stapleton