FRANCE/GAERC: AGREEMENT ON MOST ISSUES EXCEPT

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 007731

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2016
TAGS: PREL FR EUN PGOV PHUM UN YI SR BK IS LE IR
TU, AF, KPAL
SUBJECT: FRANCE/GAERC: AGREEMENT ON MOST ISSUES EXCEPT
CHINA EMBARGO

REF: A. STATE 195044


B. STATE 194956

C. PARIS 6778

D. PARIS 6757

E. PARIS 7661

F. PARIS 6784

Classified By: Acting DCM Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (B & D).


1. (U) We shared refs A and B points December 5 with MFA
CFSP Unit Deputy (DAS-equivalent) Emmanuel Cohet (all
points),DAS-equivalent for industrial questions and
sensitive exports Marc Abensour (China embargo),
DAS-equivalent for the Levant Herve Besancenot
(Israel-Palestinian conflict and Lebanon/Syria),and
DAS-equivalent for the Gulf Franck Gellet (Iran).


2. (C) Kosovo: Cohet described French and U.S. positions as
the same, while alluding to French concerns about managing
the Russian threat of a veto as raised by PolDir Araud with
A/S Fried December 6 (septel).


3. (C) Serbia: Cohet said France agrees with the U.S. and
intends to hold the line for the time being on ICTY
conditionality.


4. (C) Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Cohet said France has
no objections to U.S. points on the Rafah crossing and
sharing of customs revenues. On MEPP, he insisted there
would be no relaxing on Quartet conditions in the event of a
National Unity Government. At the same time, achievement of
an NUG would be an important step, and France believes the EU
needs to be in a position to react positively.


5. (C) Lebanon/Syria: Cohet said France is in full
agreement. Post has reported extensively on French thinking
on Lebanon. (See also refs C, D.)


6. (C) Iran: Cohet France agrees with the U.S., especially
the point on the need to strive for unity among the
international community. He alluded to difficulties with
Russia, as discussed by Araud and Fried. U/S Burns and ISA
A/S Rood discussed next steps on Iran with their EU3 and
other P-5 counterparts December 6. (See ref E for discussion
of Iranian elections.)


7. (C) Afghanistan: Cohet referred implicitly to the French
proposal of a Contact Group in stressing France's desire to
establish a comprehensive and coordinated approach to
Afghanistan assistance. See also U/S Edelman's discussions
with Chirac diplomatic advisor Gourdault-Montagne (ref F),
and A/S Fried with Araud (septel).


8. (C) China embargo: Abensour and Cohet both stressed that
the GOF position on lifting the arms embargo remained
unchanged, as does the EU position. Abensour noted that the
European Council, in its the December 2004 Summit
conclusions, said that it would work toward lifting the
embargo. Cohet added that the Council had reaffirmed this
position in 2005 and again at the China-EU summit in 2006.
Abensour called attention also to the October 2006 joint
statement between French President Chirac and Chinese
President Hu Jintao advocating that the embargo be lifted.
Abensour described the embargo as "anachronistic" and said
the GOF would say so in the December 11-12 GAERC meeting and
the December 14-15 European Council meeting. He said that
the embargo has had "no impact" on arms transfers to China.
Cohet added that more stringent procedures in the EU Code of
Conduct would serve the same purpose. He also noted that
France did view human rights issues seriously, and that
Chirac had raised the matter in his recent meetings with the
Chinese. He called attention as well to the EU's human
rights dialogue with China.


9. (C) Turkey-EU: DOD U/S Edelman discussed Turkey-EU
December 1 with NSA-equivalent Maurice Gourdault-Montagne
(MGM)(ref F),and A/S Fried discussed Turkey-EU December 6
with French PolDir Gerard Araud as well as December 7 with
MGM (septels).


Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
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