READOUT ON FRANCE-INDIA SECURITY TALKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 006568

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2026
TAGS: AF FR IN IR KNNP LE MNUC PA PARM PGOV PINR
PREL, GE
SUBJECT: READOUT ON FRANCE-INDIA SECURITY TALKS

NEW DELHI 00006568 001.4 OF 002


Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: During visits to France in early September
by Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee and National Security
Advisor Narayanan, Indian officials confided that they are
concerned about the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.
On Middle East issues, France and India agreed that the GOI
is a potentially good intermediary between the West and Iran.
Narayanan said that relations with Pakistan were still
stalled as of early September, but the French feel he hasn't
done much to help the situation. Other topics of Mukherjee's
meeting with French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie
included UNIFIL, civil nuclear energy, and the Indo-French
defense relationship. END SUMMARY.


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Concerns Over Afghanistan
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2. (C) In a September 15 meeting, Gilles Bourbao of the
French embassy told PolOff that NSA M.K. Narayanan had a
short audience with President Chirac and spoke at length with
French diplomats. He confided that India is extremely
concerned about the continuing deterioration in Afghanistan.
The effect of the illicit drug trade and the fact that the
Taliban are still controlling parts of Afghanistan are
causing anxiety in New Delhi, though Narayanan did not offer
any immediate solutions or new ideas to tackle the problem.

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India As Mediator
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3. (C) On the subject of Iran's defiance of the IAEA,
Narayanan offered that India could be a reasonable
intermediary between the West and Iran. France is open to
the concept, according to Bourbao, who said that India would
be a "decent," if not ideal, mediator.

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Narayanan Impeding Progress With Pakistan?
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4. (C) Prior to the Havana NAM Summit (and the
Singh-Musharraf meeting on the sidelines),Narayanan lamented
stalled relations between India and Pakistan. Narayanan was
negative on the prospects for progress with Pakistan, Bourbao
said, and added that the French assess that Narayanan himself
is an obstacle to the lack of progress with Pakistan.
Calling him "more a policeman than a diplomat," Bourbao said
that, more than PM Singh or anyone else in the GOI, the
French see Narayanan as an "impediment" to progress .

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Peacekeeping in Lebanon
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5. (C) On the issue of UNIFIL, Mukherjee reiterated to
Alliot-Marie that India wants its troops to be strictly
"peacekeeping" versus "peace-enforcing" under a Chapter VI
mandate only, and that they won't take part in any
disarmament of Hizbollah. India did not offer whether or not
it would keep its current troops in Lebanon, nor for how long.

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Arms Sales and Civil Nuclear Agreement
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6. (C) Both Narayanan and Mukherjee were positive on the
civil nuclear agreement with the U.S. and expressed anxiety
about its passage. The French also support the deal and
eagerly await the U.S. Congress' stamp of approval. While
not giving specific details about potential defense sales
discussed with India, Bourbao indicated that the Indo-French
strategic partnership had been topics of discussion with both
Mukherjee and Narayanan, and that French leaders advocated on
behalf of Airbus and Dassault.


7. (C) While on the subject of the Indo-U.S. civil nuclear

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deal, Bourbao intimated that in a recent conversation between
President Chirac and Chancellor Merkel, the Germans appeared
to have a more positive attitude on the civilian-nuclear deal
than they have in the past. France continues to urge Germany
to support it.
MULFORD