US embassy cable - 05PARIS3014

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 003014 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PINR, FI, PBIO, FR (CROS GERARD) 
SUBJECT: NEW FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO FINLAND GERARD CROS 
 
 
Classified By: CDA Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) According to the official GoF "Daily Bulletin" on May 
2, Gerard Cros will be the next French Ambassador in 
Helsinki.  Although Cros has been involved in work on the 
Congo Basin Forest partnership, he appears to have been 
essentially without a job since being replaced as MFA Africa 
Director at the end of 2002.  His official title has been 
Diplomatic Counselor. 
 
2. (C) When Cros left the Africa Department, then-FM Villepin 
said it was because Cros had asked for a change, and that his 
performance since assuming his duties in July 2001 had been 
excellent.  Our contacts in the Africa Department confirmed 
that because Cros' wife was extremely ill, suffering from 
cancer, Cros had asked for less demanding duties.  However, 
it had also become apparent during Villepin's frequent 
travels to Africa that Cros did not have the Foreign 
Minister's confidence. 
 
3. (C) We found Cros to be relatively open during his tenure 
as Africa Director and he maintained excellent relations with 
then-AF A/S Kansteiner.  Cros has served overseas at the UN, 
Pretoria, Beijing, and as Ambassador to Mozambique, Chile, 
and Indonesia.  His English is approximately 3/3 plus. 
ROSENBLATT