Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PARIS7435
2006-11-17 16:03:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

MFA ADVISOR WORRIED ABOUT BULGARIAN NURSES, ASKS

Tags:  FR LY PGOV PREL 
pdf how-to read a cable
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Lucia A Keegan 11/28/2006 10:00:12 AM From DB/Inbox: Lucia A Keegan

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 07435

SIPDIS
cxparis:
 ACTION: POL
 INFO: ODC AGR PAO AMB DAO ECON STRASBOU DCM FCS SCI
 ORA UNESCO

DISSEMINATION: POLOUT
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: POL/D:BTURNER
DRAFTED: POL:RWALLER
CLEARED: NONE

VZCZCFRI639
OO RUEHC RUEHXK RUEHZL RUCNDT
DE RUEHFR #7435 3211603
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 171603Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3193
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1003
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 007435 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2016
TAGS: FR LY PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: MFA ADVISOR WORRIED ABOUT BULGARIAN NURSES, ASKS
U.S. TO REINFORCE FRENCH MESSAGE TO LIBYA


Classified By: POL Deputy Bruce Turner, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 007435

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2016
TAGS: FR LY PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: MFA ADVISOR WORRIED ABOUT BULGARIAN NURSES, ASKS
U.S. TO REINFORCE FRENCH MESSAGE TO LIBYA


Classified By: POL Deputy Bruce Turner, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Francois Touazi, FM Douste-Blazy's Advisor for the
Persian Gulf and North Africa, told NEA Watcher November 16
that he was seriously concerned about the outcome of the
re-trial of the Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor
accused of deliberately infecting Libyan children with HIV
(some two hundred of whom are currently being treated in
French hospitals). Touazi, who had just returned from a
visit to Tripoli, said he raised the case and was disturbed
by the harder tone he detected from his Libyan interlocutors.
"A few months ago they were assuring us this (re-trial)
would settle things, and now they seem to be seeking further
EU promises to help the families of the infected children,"
said Touazi. The Libyans, he continued, said they did not
understand why France kept raising the issue since the nurses
were not even EU citizens, much less French. "Why are you so
insistent on this?" one Libyan official asked him.


2. (C) Touazi said the Libyans simply failed to grasp how the
trial was perceived in Europe, and the impact of EU public
opinion on foreign policy. He feared that the current
re-trial might result in yet another death sentence for the
medics, which he said would be disastrous for European
relations with Libya.

Qaddafi Visit on Ice
--------------


3. (C) Confirming recent press reports that a visit by
Muammar Qaddafi to Paris had been nixed, Touazi noted that
the Libyan leader had expressed interest in visiting both
London and Paris, and had heard an identical message from
both capitals: We would be happy to receive you, but would
want your visit to be as successful as possible; resolving
irritants (i.e., the nurses' case) would permit your visit to
be a success.

France Asks US to Reinforce Message
--------------


4. (C) Saying that the only Western powers Libya took
seriously were France, the UK and the United States, Touazi
asked that the USG reinforce the message to Libya that the
time had come to resolve the medics' case in a responsible
manner. NEA Watcher promised to convey this request to
Washington.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
STAPLETON