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