C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 003972

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNO UNMIK FR RS
SUBJECT: FRENCH READOUT ON KOUCHNER VISIT TO MOSCOW

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt for reaso
ns 1.4 b and d.


1. (SBU) Summary. An MFA interlocutor related that the
September 18 meeting between French Foreign Minister Kouchner
and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov did not prompt any
breakthroughs on the sensitive issues of Kosovo or Iran, but
the tone of the meeting--their fist as foreign ministers--was
"honest" and strong enough to support France,s increased
emphasis on confronting human rights abuses. Lavrov
expressed interest in maintaining close communication on the
issues of NATO and Russia/EU bilateral relations,
particularly in light of the upcoming French EU presidency.
End Summary.


2. (SBU) Pol M/C Rosenblatt and Poloff met on September 20
with MFA Cabinet Counselor for Russia, Balkans, CIS Isabelle
Dumont for a resume of Foreign Minister Kouchner,s September
meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. Dumont related
that the visit had not generated any progress on the most
contentious issues--Kosovo and Iran--but that the two
ministers had established an "honest" rapport that would bear
the weight of the French government's increased determination
to address sensitive--and heretofore largely ignored--issues
like human rights abuses. Dumont noted that the Russians
voiced no discomfort with Kouchner,s visiting the offices of
the newspaper where murdered journalist Anna Polikovskaya had
worked. Lavrov,s warm personal reception of Kouchner--he
never mentioned the "brutality" characterization Sarkozy
applied to Russian behavior during his August 27
speech--contrasted with his public comments at the
post-meeting press conference where the Russian foreign
minister was noticeably more stiff and dogmatic.


3. (C) Dumont said Lavrov expressed interest in maintaining
close communication on the issues of NATO and Russia/EU
bilateral relations, commenting that his government looked to
France,s EU presidency during the second half of 2008 as an
opportunity to improve that relationship. Dumont said the
French welcomed the prospect of improving relations but had
not as yet planned any specific initiatives and would be open
to suggestions, including from the United States, for
projects with that goal in mind.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm


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