Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07PARIS1914
2007-05-14 11:35:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:
FRENCH POISED TO RAISE CONCERNS WITH VAN WALSUM
how-toVZCZCXYZ0020 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHFRA #1914 1341135 ZNY CCCCC ZZH ZUI RUEWMCF6556 1341136 O 141135Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC0000 INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001914
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NEA/MAG FOR ROBERT EWING
E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/14/2017
TAGS: FR PREL PGOV AG MO WI
SUBJECT: FRENCH POISED TO RAISE CONCERNS WITH VAN WALSUM
REF: STATE 64947
PAGE 02 RUEHFRA1914 C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001914
CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, REASONS
1.4 (B) AND (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001914
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NEA/MAG FOR ROBERT EWING
E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/14/2017
TAGS: FR PREL PGOV AG MO WI
SUBJECT: FRENCH POISED TO RAISE CONCERNS WITH VAN WALSUM
REF: STATE 64947
PAGE 02 RUEHFRA1914 C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001914
CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, REASONS
1.4 (B) AND (D).
1. (C) IN RESPONSE TO REFTEL DEMARCHE, THE MFA'S
DAS-EQUIVALENT FOR THE MAGHREB, CHRISTIAN TESTO, TOLD US ON
MAY 14 THAT FRANCE AND THE U.S. ARE ON "EXACTLY THE SAME
WAVELENGTH" WITH REGARD TO UN WESTERN SAHARA ENVOY PETER VAN
WALSUM. TESTO NOTED THAT THE FRENCH ARE PARTICULARLY
CONCERNED BY SIGNALS THAT VAN WALSUM IS TRYING TO WALK BACK
THE LANGUAGE OF UNSCR 1754 BY INSISTING THAT MOROCCO'S
AUTONOMY PLAN AND THE POLISARIOS COUNTERPROPOSAL BE GIVEN
EQUAL WEIGHT. FRANCE MAINTAINS THAT UNSCR 1754 WAS
"DELIBERATELY ASYMMETRICAL" IN WELCOMING THE MOROCCAN
PROPOSAL AS "SERIOUS AND CREDIBLE," IN CONTRAST TO THE
POLISARIO PROPOSAL. "IN SHORT, VAN WALSUM REMAINS DIFFICULT
TO WORK WITH -- WE HAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT HE'S IN NO HURRY,
AND WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HIS ATTEMPT TO PUT BOTH
PROPOSALS ON THE SAME PLANE," TESTO SUMMARIZED, NOTING THAT
THE MFA WOULD RAISE BOTH OF THESE CONCERNS WITH VAN WALSUM
DURING HIS MAY 23 VISIT TO PARIS.
PAGE 03 RUEHFRA1914 C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001914
2. (C) TESTO FINISHED BY REQUESTING U.S. ASSISTANCE IN
WORKING THE NORDIC STATES, WHICH SEEM TO SHARE VAN WALSUM'S
PERSPECTIVE.
PLEASE VISIT PARIS' CLASSIFIED WEBSITE AT:
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/PARIS/INDEX.C FM
STAPLETON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NEA/MAG FOR ROBERT EWING
E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/14/2017
TAGS: FR PREL PGOV AG MO WI
SUBJECT: FRENCH POISED TO RAISE CONCERNS WITH VAN WALSUM
REF: STATE 64947
PAGE 02 RUEHFRA1914 C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001914
CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, REASONS
1.4 (B) AND (D).
1. (C) IN RESPONSE TO REFTEL DEMARCHE, THE MFA'S
DAS-EQUIVALENT FOR THE MAGHREB, CHRISTIAN TESTO, TOLD US ON
MAY 14 THAT FRANCE AND THE U.S. ARE ON "EXACTLY THE SAME
WAVELENGTH" WITH REGARD TO UN WESTERN SAHARA ENVOY PETER VAN
WALSUM. TESTO NOTED THAT THE FRENCH ARE PARTICULARLY
CONCERNED BY SIGNALS THAT VAN WALSUM IS TRYING TO WALK BACK
THE LANGUAGE OF UNSCR 1754 BY INSISTING THAT MOROCCO'S
AUTONOMY PLAN AND THE POLISARIOS COUNTERPROPOSAL BE GIVEN
EQUAL WEIGHT. FRANCE MAINTAINS THAT UNSCR 1754 WAS
"DELIBERATELY ASYMMETRICAL" IN WELCOMING THE MOROCCAN
PROPOSAL AS "SERIOUS AND CREDIBLE," IN CONTRAST TO THE
POLISARIO PROPOSAL. "IN SHORT, VAN WALSUM REMAINS DIFFICULT
TO WORK WITH -- WE HAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT HE'S IN NO HURRY,
AND WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HIS ATTEMPT TO PUT BOTH
PROPOSALS ON THE SAME PLANE," TESTO SUMMARIZED, NOTING THAT
THE MFA WOULD RAISE BOTH OF THESE CONCERNS WITH VAN WALSUM
DURING HIS MAY 23 VISIT TO PARIS.
PAGE 03 RUEHFRA1914 C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001914
2. (C) TESTO FINISHED BY REQUESTING U.S. ASSISTANCE IN
WORKING THE NORDIC STATES, WHICH SEEM TO SHARE VAN WALSUM'S
PERSPECTIVE.
PLEASE VISIT PARIS' CLASSIFIED WEBSITE AT:
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/PARIS/INDEX.C FM
STAPLETON