FRANCE NOT KEEN ON NORWEGIAN PROPOSAL FOR SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001410 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2016 TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL IR EU NO FR SUBJECT: FRANCE NOT KEEN ON NORWEGIAN PROPOSAL FOR SECURITY DIALOG WITH IRAN REF: STATE 35677 Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, REASON 1 .4 B/D ¶1. (C) Per reftel, on March 6 we informed the MFA of Norway's interest in initiating a broad security dialog with Iran and U.S. reaction against the initiative at this time. Nicolas Roche, who works on Iran-EU3 negotiations in the MFA's Strategic Affairs bureau, said the Norwegians had also shared this dialog idea with France on Feb 21 in Paris. The Norwegians had stoppped in Paris on their way back from Tehran to brief the French on their meetings. ¶2. (C) The French cautioned that this was an idea the EU had contemplated in August 2005, but in a different context. The key point now was that Iran had not shown a willingness to abide by its agreements, including full suspension of its program. For that reason a security dialog, as proposed by Norway, would be "dangerous and counter-productive." ¶3. (C) Roche said the Norwegians were not happy with the French reaction, and that the French have not heard any further from the Norwegians on this issue. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Stapleton