US embassy cable - 05PARIS2586

UNCLAS PARIS 002586 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AF, PREL, EAID, FR, UNSC 
SUBJECT: FRENCH FUNDING STILL UNDETERMINED BUT NOT LIKELY 
FOR AFGHANISTAN'S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 61560 
 
1.  On April 7 reftel points were delivered to French MFA 
Afghanistan Desk Officer Cyril Gerardon.  In conversations on 
April 12 and 13, Gerardon told poloff he hoped his government 
would be able to contribute to the upcoming Parliamentary 
elections, but that he did not think that the chances were 
good.  The decision, he said, would be made at the 
ministerial level in the near future though he could not say 
when. 
 
2.  While Gerardon maintained that he thought the chances for 
a French contribution were slim, he did not rule it out 
altogether saying that if a contribution is made, it will 
probably not exceed the 1.5 million dollars France gave for 
the Presidential elections held in October, 2004.  He added 
that France had recently promised to contribute an additional 
1 million euros to support the Afghan Legislature once it is 
established.  Gerardon said that this, coupled with what he 
characterized as the present French focus on Africa, would 
likely keep decision-makers from feeling compelled to commit 
sizable funds to the upcoming Afghan Parliamentary elections. 
LEACH