LEBANON: FRENCH PM VISITS TO SHOW POLITICAL,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 001700 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA, PM/FO ALSO FOR IO A/S HOOK, PDAS WARLICK P FOR DRUSSELL, PRANGASWAMY USUN FOR KHALILIZAD/WOLFF/SCHEDELBAUER NSC FOR ABRAMS/YERGER/MCDERMOTT/RAMCHAND PARIS FOR W. JORDAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/24/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR MOPS SY LE SUBJECT: LEBANON: FRENCH PM VISITS TO SHOW POLITICAL, ECONOMIC SUPPORT REF: BEIRUT 1659 Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) French PM Francois Fillon's November 20-21 visit to Beirut seems to have been a somewhat pro forma demonstration of France's continued interest and support for Lebanon. During the visit, France agreed to provide weapons for the Lebanese Armed Forces aging Gazelle helicopters, following through on a French commitment made in 2006. The French Ambassador told us, though, that they must first resolve the issue of paying for the required retrofit of the Gazelles. Fillon was accompanied by the French Defense Minister, junior ministers for trade and foreign affairs, some MPs and a 50-person delegation of business executives. He saw President Sleiman, PM Siniora, Speaker Berri and a number of business groups and visited France's UNIFIL contingent. End Summary. LEBANESE POLITICS -------------- ¶2. (C) French Ambassador Andre Parant provided DCM a readout of PM Francois Fillon's November 20-21 trip to Lebanon on November 24. In their meeting, President Sleiman told Fillon he wanted to see a "third way" of independent candidates for the 2009 parliamentary election to balance the current polarization between the majority and opposition camps, but he would not lead the third way, Parant reported. Speaker Berri told Fillon the 2009 elections would be close and that the various ongoing reconciliation efforts were important. When Fillon asked Berri about the prospects for disarming of Hizballah, Berri responded that Israel had "created the resistance" and it would not go away until Israel improved its relationship with Lebanon. SYRIA -------------- ¶3. (C) Fillon told his interlocutors that France is not naive about Syria as it pursues its outreach to the Syrians and will continue to push them on issues such as the Lebanese missing in Syria and border demarcation. Parant said no Lebanese expressed complaints to Fillon about France's recent contacts with the Syrians. Fillon made particular mention of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in appearances before an audience of business executives and at a reception for French citizens in Lebanon, Parant said. He did not meet with majority leader Saad Hariri, but did have a brief conversation with him when Fillon paid respects at the tomb of Hariri's father, former PM Rafiq Hariri. ¶4. (C) Sleiman told Fillon Syria and Lebanon will announce Ambassadors by year's end. He said there had been good progress with Syria but there was still much to do, and praised France's efforts to improve Syrian-Lebanese relations. OTHER ISSUES: PARIS III, GAZELLES, GHAJAR -------------- ¶5. (C) Fillon's several conversations with PM Siniora focused on the financial crisis and economic issues, Parant said. Siniora confirmed to Fillon the GOL's commitment to move ahead on Paris III reforms. France and Lebanon finalized an agreement for France to provide weapons for Lebanon's French-made, Gazelle helicopters (a third party transfer arrangement through the UAE),but Parant said there is still an issue of who will finance the retrofit of the Gazelles, which must be done before the weapons can be installed. 6.(C) Fillon saw Siniora both before and after the news broke about Israel's response on the UNIFIL Ghajar proposal. After it broke, Fillon urged Siniora not to react negatively in a public way, despite Siniora's unhappiness with the Israeli BEIRUT 00001700 002 OF 002 response. SISON