UNSC RESOLUTION 1695: FRANCE IS SUPPORTIVE AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 005639 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/K AND ISN/CPI E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2016 TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP MNUC WMD PTER FR SUBJECT: UNSC RESOLUTION 1695: FRANCE IS SUPPORTIVE AND LOOKING AT HOW BEST TO IMPLEMENT REF: STATE 136495 Classified By: CDA JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, REASONS 1.4 B/D ¶1. (C) SUMMARY and Action Request: In response to Embassy demarche (reftel),the MFA reiterated France's commitment to the implementation of the UNSC Resolution on North Korea, adding that the adoption of UNSC 1695 has accelerated internal French discussions between the Ministry of Finance and the MFA on how to constrain the North Korean missile program. A key concern is the possible need for a legislative fix to strengthen France's financial enforcement regime. Meanwhile, France is also looking within the EU for additional support on implementing UNSC 1695. Action Request (see paragraph 5): The MFA asked for further details on how the USG envisions linking enforcement of UNSC 1695 with PSI initiatives. Please advise. End Summary. 2.(C) In response to reftel instructions, on August 22 we called on Arnaud Mentre, MFA official in the office of disarmament and non-proliferation responsible for North Korea. He observed that France fully supports UNSC 1695 and its implementation. However, it is not yet clear if the measures needed to block financial transactions will require additional legislation. The MFA is in talks with the Ministry of Finance to determine the prerequisites of enforcement, including the possibility of seeking new enforcement legislation in the National Assembly. Mentre noted that the GOF had already discussed with us existing French legal restrictions on countering proliferation financing during a June 20 meeting in Paris with Treasury Under Secretary Stuart Levey and Under Secretary Robert Joseph. ¶3. (C) Mentre also indicated that France has raised within the European Union the need to implement 1695, most recently at a July 19 meeting in Brussels with the EU's nonproliferation office. ¶4. (C) Further, Mentre mentioned that Paris-based diplomats from South Korea and Japan had approached the MFA separately in early August with demarches conveying their support for UNSC 1695, but without providing much detail or leaving a non-paper. Mentre asked poloff if the USG had been aware of these representations and what measures the South Koreans and Japanese were taking. Mentre said the MFA found the South Korean presentation surprising, especially the South Korean claim "that all appropriate provisions were already in place and they were in full compliance with UNSC 1695." ¶5. (C) Action request: In terms of specifics of the U.S. presentation, Mentre asked for further information on how the U.S. intends to use UNSC 1695 provisions to support existing collaboration with Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) partners on the interdiction of missile-related shipments and activities. Embassy would welcome further details that we might share with our French colleagues. Mentre concluded by reminding us that the U.S. and France will need to carefully coordinate our non-proliferation efforts on Iran and North Korea, so that neither suffers at the expense of the other. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Rosenblatt