FRANCE ON WMD PROLIFERATOR FINANCING

UNCLAS PARIS 002304 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/PGI, EUR/RPM, EUR/WE AND EB/ESC/TFS TREASURY FOR LEVEY, JFOWLER, OFAC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN PARM PGOV FR SUBJECT: FRANCE ON WMD PROLIFERATOR FINANCING (SBU) Following up on Treasury U/S Levey,s letter about coordinating a multinational effort to combat the financial underpinning of WMD proliferation and suggesting that France consider sponsoring or co-sponsoring a regional conference with certain European countries, on April 6 we spoke with David Bertolotti at the MFA office of disarmament and nuclear nonproliferation. Bertolotti said a written reply is still not finished, but would be forthcoming. The substance of the reply will be that France shares USG objectives and concerns, and would be willing to consider a regional conference, but first would like to have another bilateral meeting with the USG. At that bilateral meeting, a working group could take up a series of questions raised by the proposal. France mainly would like to consider how to best integrate this new initiative into existing institutions and agreements, and compare the legal tools available. Given that the G8 is likely to take up this issue in July, Betolotti added that it would be better to arrange this bilateral meeting soon, and officials would be prepared to hold it either in Paris or in Washington. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Stapleton