FRANCE "DEPLORES" AND "CONDEMNS" PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR TESTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 011954 E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/28/08 TAGS: MNUC PREL FR PK SUBJECT: FRANCE "DEPLORES" AND "CONDEMNS" PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR TESTS CLASSIFIED BY POLMINCOUNS MICHAEL E. PARMLY. REASON: 1.5(B). ¶1. (U) THE FRENCH MFA (QUAI) RELEASED A STATEMENT LATE MAY 28 SAYING THAT FRANCE "DEPLORES" AND "CONDEMNS" PAKISTAN'S FIVE NUCLEAR TESTS. AN AFP STORY FOLLOWING THE DECLARATION ALSO NOTES FRANCE'S CONTINUING OPPOSITION TO SANCTIONS AND QUOTES FOREIGN MINISTER VEDRINE AS SAYING THAT, "EACH TIME THERE IS A SLIGHTLY COMPLICATED PROBLEM, IT IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO BRANDISH SANCTIONS AS A MIRACLE CURE." IN THE QUAI STATEMENT, FRANCE ALSO UNDERSCORED ITS REGRET THAT PAKISTAN HAS NOT TAKEN CALLS FOR RESTRAINT INTO ACCOUNT AND SAID THAT THE TESTS RUN COUNTER TO WORLD EFFORTS TO HALT THE SPREAD OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. ¶2. (C) QUAI INDIA DESK OFFICER FABRICE ETIENNE CONFIRMED TO US LATE ON 28 MAY THAT THE MEETING PLANNED FOR 29 MAY BETWEEN PAKISTANI SPECIAL ENVOY KHURSHID MAHMOOD KASURI AND SENIOR QUAI OFFICIALS WOULD TAKE PLACE AS SCHEDULED. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE QUAI WILL RECEIVE INDIAN P.M. VAJPAYEE'S PERSONAL SECRETARY MISHRA ON JUNE 2 IN PARIS. (NOTE: EMBASSY IS REPORTING VIA SEPTEL RESULTS OF DAS EINHORN'S TALKS WITH FRENCH QUAI ON NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH ASIA.) ¶3. (U) THE TEST OF THE FRENCH MFA DECLARATION FOLLOWS: BEGIN TEXT: "1 - WE HAVE LEARNED THAT PAKISTAN JUST COMPLETED FIVE NUCLEAR TESTS. FRANCE REGRETS THAT PAKISTAN DID NOT TAKE CALLS FOR RESTRAINT INTO ACCOUNT. FRANCE DEPLORES AND CONDEMNS THESE TESTS WHICH RUN COUNTER TO WORLD EFFORTS AGAINST NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION AND A BAN ON NUCLEAR TESTS." "2 - AS WE HAVE ASKED OF INDIA, FRANCE CALLS ON PAKISTAN TO CONDUCT NO FURTHER TESTS, TO JOIN THE CTBT AND PARTICIPATE IN NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FMCT." END TEXT ¶4. (C) COMMENT: FRANCE WAS ONLY "PREOCCUPIED" WITH THE INDIAN TESTS AND YET HAS "DEPLORED" AND "CONDEMNED" PAKISTAN'S RIPOSTE. EMBASSY WILL PURSUE THIS DISCREPANCY. ROHATYN