GI: FRANCE SUPPORTS KAZAKHSTAN EXERCISE; REMAINS

UNCLAS PARIS 000974 SENSITIVE SIPDIS EUR/PRA FOR NATE YOUNG; ISN/WND FOR MEGAN DIETER AND MARY CULBRETH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER KGIV PARM PREL SUBJECT: GI: FRANCE SUPPORTS KAZAKHSTAN EXERCISE; REMAINS UNSURE ABOUT GIIP TALLINN MEETING PARTICIPATION; AND WELCOMES NEW GI MEMBERS REF: A. DIETER-YOUNG EMAIL OF MAY 16 ¶B. CULBRETH-ESPINOZA EMAIL OF MAY 9 ¶C. STATE 38571 ¶1. (SBU) Embassy Paris' Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GI) POC was asked by the Russian Embassy to join in a demarche to the French MFA on the upcoming GI exercise activity in Kazakhstan in early June. Embassy poloff accepted the meeting per guidance in reftel A. French GI action officer Thomas Guibert welcomed the news of the Kazakhstan exercise and applauded Astana's initiative, particularly since the exercise appears to move into a new technical area of great interest to France: nuclear site protection. Guibert noted that during the April 15 EPG in Paris, the GOF had also encouraged non-Western GI member states to take a more active role in this Initiative in order to highlight the importance of its international membership. Poloff emphasized that Western attendance at the Kazakh exercise was critical in order to encourage other non-Western states to also host GI events. Guibert agreed to push strongly for French attendance. GIIP -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Poloff also took the opportunity to reinforce the U.S. request for French participation at the June 2-4 Global Initiative Information Portal (GIIP) meeting in Tallinn, Estonia (refs B and C). Guibert stressed France's strong interest in the GIIP, but noted that the GOF is having difficulties finding available officials for the meeting. FRANCE-HOSTED EXERCISES? -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Guibert told us that France continues to consider the possibility of hosting an exercise within the framework of the EPG but is waiting for the results of the two Madrid exercises before making a full commitment. The GOF wants to have a better understanding of the scope of the exercises before beginning its own planning. More practically speaking, France is the EU President from July 1-December 31, 2008, and is already facing significant demands on its limited resources. NEW GI MEMBERS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Russian poloff announced the membership of three new countries in the GI: Ireland, Malta, and the UAE. Guibert noted that the additions not only open up the GI to an important Middle East partner, but also mean that all EU countries are now members-- something France has long sought in order to seek EU funding for the GI. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm STAPLETON