US embassy cable - 05PARIS1611

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001611 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PBTS, RS, GG, MD, FR, OSCE 
SUBJECT: FRANCE "CAUTIOUS" ON EU-LED BMO MISSION, RECEIVE 
RUSSIAN PROPOSAL ON TRANSNISTRIA 
 
REF: PARIS 1178 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, FOR REAS 
ONS 1.4 B/D 
 
1. (C) Pierre Cochard, DAS-equivalent for Russia and the 
former Soviet states, told Poloff March 10 that France was 
not firmly opposed to a EU-led BMO in Georgia, but that it 
was being "cautious" based on the swirl of other options 
available and ESDP funding constraints.  Cochard bemoaned the 
lack of a unified front with the Russians regarding the BMO; 
he thought it still possible that Russia could be convinced 
to acquiesce to an OSCE monitoring and training mission along 
the Georgian border with Russia.  He said the EU was 
discussing three options: 1) a modest reinforcement of the EU 
Mission in Georgia; 2) a full-fledged EU monitoring mission; 
and 3) a combined EU monitoring and training mission.  The 
EU, said Cochard, would probably decide on the first option 
as an interim measure, and later, if necessary, it would 
consider the second and third options.  He reiterated that 
France, despite reports to the contrary, was not 
categorically opposed to the second option if circumstances 
warranted such a decision. 
 
2. (C) Cochard raised reftel demarche on a Russian proposal 
for bilateral dialogue on Transnistria, saying that the MFA 
had recently received the expected Russian demarche.  The 
Russians cited the Kozak Plan, said Cochard, which he did not 
believe they had raised when delivering a similar demarche in 
Washington.  As reported in reftel, Cochard said the MFA 
would accept the Russian offer, believing it would be 
difficult to reject such a proposal for dialogue.  French 
goals for these bilateral consultations would be to convince 
the Russians to accept an expanded seven-party dialogue, to 
include the EU and the U.S, said Cochard. 
Leach