FRENCH SEEK STRONG UNSC RESPONSE TO NORTH KOREAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 006696 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN, EAP, AND IO E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2016 TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP UNSC KN FR SUBJECT: FRENCH SEEK STRONG UNSC RESPONSE TO NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST REF: A) STATE 168337 B) STATE 169269 C) STATE 169418 Classified By: Acting DCM Thomas J. White, Reason 1.4 B/D ¶1. (C) On October 6 we provided ref A elements for UNSC action to the MFA, meeting separately with the Koreas desk officer Clea Le Cardeur and IO-equivalent action officer Benoit Guidee. Guidee told us on October 10, following receipt of ref C points, that the MFA position was one of "total solidarity with the United States and Japan and other partners" on the need for a stern response to the DPRK nuclear test. Additionally, Guidee revealed that there had been some consternation at the MFA in reaction to Chinese MFA comments to the French in Beijing implicitly rejecting invocation of Chapter VII in a UNSC response, although Guidee mentioned that the Chinese UNSC Delegation in New York had taken a "more conciliatory position." ¶2. (C) After an internal MFA meeting later on October 10 to consolidate views on the crisis, Guidee reconfirmed French alignment with USG and Japanese positions. He said France believes that the UNSC must respond to the DPRK provocation in an exemplary and forceful manner by imposing a battery of sanctions. France remained in favor of an explicit invocation of Chapter VII, he added, though there was uncertainty as to how that issue would play out given PRC hesitation. Guidee admitted MFA discomfort nonetheless with the proposed ban on luxury goods, suggesting the UNSC keep that, like a travel ban on regime leaders, in reserve on the principle that the UNSC "maintain some ammunition." Guidee suggested the MFA also saw value in the PRC argument that a draft resolution allow a possible escape clause for the DPRK to back down. Sanctions, for instance, could be imposed with the usual proviso of an annual UNSC review. The MFA also did not see any harm in the PRC call for an amendment calling for a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the crisis. In any event, Guidee stressed that France would strive to maintain a united front with the USG and limit objections to P-3 discussions in New York. ¶3. (C) We also shared ref C points on October 10 with MFA Acting Deputy Director for Asia Thierry Berthelot and DAS-equivalent Director for Nonproliferation Philippe Errera. Berthelot in particular took on board our points with respect to the need to move to sanctions and to take other defensive measures on non-proliferation and financing. We noted that public comments on October 9 by FM Douste-Blazy and the MFA spokesperson had spoken of consequences for North Korea without staking out a French position on sanctions. Berthelot responded that "it was a question of timing," i.e., FM Douste-Blazy and the spokesman had spoken before the UNSC meeting had taken place in New York on the afternoon of October 9. Berthelot said that there should be "no doubts" about French support for sanctions, although France wanted to let discussions develop in New York and remained mindful of the need to reach agreement with China and Russia on forceful UNSC action. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm STAPLETON