IRAN/IAEA: FRENCH SHARE U.S. ASSESSMENT OF LATEST

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001331 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/2016 TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL IR FR IAEA SUBJECT: IRAN/IAEA: FRENCH SHARE U.S. ASSESSMENT OF LATEST IAEA REPORT AND CONFIRM MARCH 3 EU3-IRAN MINISTERIAL REF: A) STATE 33729 B) 03/02/2006 ODLUM/RECINOS E-MAILS Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, Reason 1 .4 B/D ¶1. (C) On March 2, we delivered ref A points, minus the "if asked" section, on U.S. views of the latest IAEA report to Etienne de Gonneville, an MFA action officer handling non-proliferation issues in the Strategic Affairs directorate. De Gonneville skimmed the U.S. text and remarked that our assessment tracked with France's own analysis. In response to his query on our suggestion that IAEA Board of Governors members consider formal "special inspection" requests to Iran, we confirmed that the United States was not recommending a new resolution for the March 6 BOG. ¶2. (C) Embassy Polmiloff took the opportunity to inquire about the latest EU3 steps on Iran-EU3 discussions. De Gonneville confirmed that EU3 Foreign Ministers had agreed on March 1 to meet with Iran's negotiator Larijani on Friday, March 3 in Vienna, in an attempt to encourage the Iranians to adhere to IAEA resolutions. De Gonneville confided that EU3 expectations were very low that Iran would comply. ¶3. (C) De Gonneville revealed that Chinese Vice Minister Lu Guoleng (possibly French spelling) was meeting today, March 2, with MFA Political Director Stanislas de Laboulaye in order to brief the French on his recently concluded meetings with Larijani in Tehran. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Stapleton