NATO RESPONSE FORCE: NO FURTHER FRENCH

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 004046 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/14/2016 TAGS: MARR PREL NATO FR SUBJECT: NATO RESPONSE FORCE: NO FURTHER FRENCH CONTRIBUTIONS TO NRF 7 REF: A) STATE 89347 B) USNATO 244 Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, Reason 1 .4 B/D ¶1. (C) Using ref A talking points, we spoke June 8 and 14, with MFA expert on the NRF, Florian Escudie, to suggest France consider increasing its contributions or that it lobby its Eurocorps partners to make up existing gaps in the NRF-7 rotation. USNATO Ambassador Nuland and EUR/RPM Director Gary Robbins made these same points in their respective May 29 and June 6 meetings in Paris. ¶2. (C) Escudie first expressed GoF appreciation for recent additional U.S. contributions to the NRF and noted that France had raised with its Eurocorps partners our request for additional contributions to the NRF-7. He noted, however, that none had volunteered additional forces. France, he added, also would be unable to make additional contributions to NRF-7 given that it had already committed 3,100 troops to all components of the NRF-7 and was making a contribution of approximately 2,728 to the NRF-8. ¶3. (C) Escudie said France is also focusing on needs for future NRF rotations in order to ensure that the NRF is operational by the Fall. In terms of the NRF-7, he suggested that at roughly 92 percent staffing, according to SHAPE figures, the rotation should be able to meet its mission requirements. In the meantime, France will be working Alliance partners to do more across all rotations, Escudie added. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm STAPLETON