UNSCR 1747/OECD: FRENCH VIEWS ON IRAN EXPORT CREDITS

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 002663 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/WE; NEA/IR; EB/IFD/ODF and EB/ESC/TFS Treasury for IA/Office of Trade Finance Treasury also for TFI U/S Levey E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2017 TAGS: PREL EFIN ETRD EXIM OECD UN IR FR SUBJECT: UNSCR 1747/OECD: FRENCH VIEWS ON IRAN EXPORT CREDITS REF: STATE 081876 Classified By: ECON Minister Counselor Thomas J. White for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). (C) We made reftel points on June 20 to Philippe Errera, MFA PDAS for Security, Franck Gellet, MFA DAS for the Middle East, Cyrille Pierre, MFA DAS for Investments, Martin Briens, MFA DAS for Disarmament, and to Corso Bavagnoli, DAS-equivalent for International Financial Affairs at the Ministry of Economy, in a meeting with Treasury DAS Danny Glaser (septel). Gellet commented that possible action in the OECD would only serve to underline that sanctions are emanating from the West, and would thus strengthen Iranian President Ahmadinejad. Pierre thought that for the moment UNSC resolutions are sufficient on their own merits. He also noted that to the extent it touches on trade, export credit policy is an EU competency and so should entail a decision by the European Commission. Errera added that perhaps specific language on export credits could be added to the next UNSC resolution on Iran, which now appears to be a virtual certainty since Iran does not appear to be ready to suspend enrichment or even begin talks on suspension. France believes that the next resolution will need to be more robust than its predecessors. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm PEKALA