(S) SHIELD S59-05 FRENCH REPONSE TO AUSTRALIA

S E C R E T PARIS 001751

SIPDIS

PASS TO ISN/CB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2036
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC IR FR CBW
SUBJECT: (S) SHIELD S59-05 FRENCH REPONSE TO AUSTRALIA
GROUP ALERT REGARDING IRANIAN PROCUREMENT ENTITY SAMAMICRO

REF: SECSTATE 10911

Classified By: Counselor for Environment, Science, and Technology, Robe
rt W. Dry, Reason 1.4, B,D,& H


1. (S) On March 16 Embassy received the GOF's reponse to ref
demarche delivered to MFA in January. The non-paper - in
French and classified at the DEFENSE CONFIDENTIAL level -
confirms that the MFA followed-up the Iranian procurement of
possible dual-use items from the French firm CILAS by the
Iranian firm SAMAMICRO. CILAS notified the French that they
sold two granulometers, one in December 2004 and the other
in the latter part of 2005 to a paint manufacturing company,
PARS AL VAN PLANT & DESIGN INDUSTRIES in Tehran. The
granulometers in question are not dual-use and therefore not
subject to the Australia Group, according to the French
non-paper. France will maintain its vigilance regarding
SAMAMICRO and of all commercial requests that come from Iran.



2. (SBU) A hardcopy of this non-paper can be sent by secure
fax. Please send request and fax number to
KatzerKM@state.sgov.gov and dryrw@state.sgov.gov.

Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm

Hofmann