FRANCE WILL BEGIN RATIFICATION PROCESS FOR THE

UNCLAS PARIS 003250 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR ISN, L, AND S/CT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER KNNP MCAP PINR PINS PARM PREL FR SUBJECT: FRANCE WILL BEGIN RATIFICATION PROCESS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF ACTS OF NUCLEAR TERRORISM REF: STATE 102149 ¶1. (SBU) French MFA counterterrorism official, Francois Revardeaux, told poloff at the end of July that the MFA will begin working in September 2007 on ratification of the UN International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. The Convention's ratification, Revardeaux said, required passage of new legislation by the National Assembly. Now that election season was over in France, the MFA would begin to push the full ratification process following August holidays. Revardeaux did not anticipate any significant impediments to the Convention's ratification. ¶2. (SBU) Revardeaux agreed that it was important for other countries to sign and ratify the Convention and expressed the hope that France and the U.S. would soon be leading by example. As an active member of the 1373 Committee, he said, France would continue to push for the international adoption of all UN Conventions related to terrorism. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm PEKALA