MTAG: FRENCH REACTION TO U.S. NONPAPER FOR MTCR

S E C R E T PARIS 001169 SIPDIS ISN/MTR E.O. 12958: DECL: 10 YEARS TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL FR MTCR SUBJECT: MTAG: FRENCH REACTION TO U.S. NONPAPER FOR MTCR PARTNERS REGARDING IRANIAN UAV/CRUISE MISSILE ENTITY GHOODS AVIATION INDUSTRIES' PROCUREMENT EFFORTS (S) REF: STATE 019038 Classified By: ESTH Counselor Robert W. Dry for Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) . ¶1. (S) SUMMARY: On 15 February 2006, ESTH/NP Officer met with French Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Point of Contact (POC) David Bertolotti, MFA Deputy Director of Disarmament and Nuclear Non-proliferation, and provided him reftel nonpaper. Although not named in the nonpaper, Bertolotti recognized immediately that the country alluded to as engaged in offering to sell prohibited equipment to Iran was South Africa. Bertolotti noted, privately and confidentially, that the French services had, separately, SIPDIS obtained related information and had demarched the South Africans against engaging in activities similar to those mentioned in the report. He said that he greatly appreciated the U.S. sharing information contained in Reftel, and that it would be well-received by the French government agencies involved, and which, when added to the information the French already possessed, would assist in French investigations into Ghoods aviation industries' procurement efforts. Bertolotti promised to distribute nonpaper to MTCR partners without delay. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Hofmann