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