FRANCE ON NEW YORK FORCE GENERATION MEETING FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 005148 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2016 TAGS: PREL FR KPKO LE SUBJECT: FRANCE ON NEW YORK FORCE GENERATION MEETING FOR LEBANON REF: STATE 124162 Classified By: Deputy PolCouns Bruce Turner for reasons 1.4 (B & D). ¶1. (SBU) Deputy PolCouns discussed reftel demarche July 29 with MFA duty officer Gilles-Henri Garrault, and subsequently faxed over a copy of reftel points. Deputy PolCouns also informed Garrault of an earlier call he had received from the Operations Center indicating that it would be placing a call from Counselor Zelikow to MFA Political Director Stanislaus de Laboulaye, perhaps to discuss this and follow up on his July 27-28 discussions in Paris. ¶2. (C) Garrault recalled the French review that scheduling the meeting on July 31 was premature. He warned that France might not be in a position to engage fully on all the agenda items under discussion, given a number of uncertainties relative to the evolving political context. That said, he underscored that French reservations were ones of timing more than substance. Deputy PolCouns emphasized in response the importance of quick international action to address the situation Lebanon, noting that A/S Fried had called Ambassador Levitte July 28 for that reason. Garrault said he had not yet seen a report of the conversation but that he would follow up internally. ¶3. (SBU) In closing, Deputy PolCouns reiterated our hope that France would be represented at an appropriately high level. Garrault had no information on French attendance, but pledged to get back to Deputy PolCouns as soon as possible. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm STAPLETON