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