US embassy cable - 05PARIS1526

UNCLAS PARIS 001526 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EB/IFD/ODF (MONSARRAT), EAP AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, EFIN, FR 
SUBJECT: TSUNAMI RECONSTRUCTION: FRANCE WILL PARTICIAPE IN 
PRE-HIGH LEVEL MEETING TELECONFERENCE 
 
REF: A. STATE 38823 
 
     B. MONSARRAT E-MAILS 4 MARCH AND PREVIOUS 
     C. MERTEN-ALSUP/MONSARRAT E-MAIL 8 MARCH 2005 
 
1.  (U) On 7 March, Econ Chief passed ref A paper and ref B 
agenda to Eric Chevalier, deputy to Jean-Claude Mallet, the 
newly named Interagency Coordinator for Tsunami Relief. 
Chevalier confirmed that Mallet would participate in the 
conference call on 9 March.  Chevallier welcomed the U.S. 
initiative in organizing the call and only noted that the 
agenda seemed very focused on U.S. activities and priorities. 
 He said he hoped that other participants would have a chance 
to give their views and highlight their plans. 
 
2.  (U) Mallet was recently appointed to this position after 
stepping down in 2004 as the Director-General of the SGDN 
(General Secretary for National Defense) where he had served 
since 1998.  In a prior high-profile assignment, Mallet 
served as director of the office of strategic affairs (DAS) 
at the Ministry of Defense from 1992-98.  From 1989-91, 
Mallet served as then Interior Minister Pierre Joxe's 
international affairs advisor.  Mallet holds degrees in law 
and literature and graduated from the prestigious National 
School of Administration (ENA).  He speaks English and 
Spanish fluently (full bio passed in ref C). 
Leach