US embassy cable - 05PARIS3491

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 003491 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2015 
TAGS: CH, PREL, SU, MARR, MOPS, PARM, KNNP, MNUC, FR, EUN, NATO 
SUBJECT: FRENCH ON MAY 23-24 GAERC 
 
REF: STATE 90085 
 
Classified By: Acting DCM Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
. 
 
1.  (C)  SUMMARY: Poloff delivered reftel points on May 16 
and spoke with MFA deputy chief for Common Foreign and 
Security Policy Pascal LeDeunff on May 19. LeDeunff described 
Sudan as "incontestably the most important" subject the GAERC 
will tackle; said that the EU-3 will seek EU support for 
their May 25 meeting in Geneva with Iran; told us that the 
GAERC will adopt a strong conclusion on Uzbekistan; briefly 
mentioned discussions to be held on Iraq; and responded to 
the China points by repeating that France seeks a decision on 
lifting the embargo by June in keeping with the December 2004 
Council decision and noting that the PSC would take the 
subject up at ambassadorial level rather than it being 
discussed at the GAERC.  END SUMMARY. 
 
SUDAN 
 
2.  (C)  Emphasizing the primacy of Sudan for the GAERC, 
LeDeunff noted that the EU will present a "global and 
coherent" support proposal on May 26 in Addis Ababa.  He said 
he hoped that Solana himself would present the proposal.  He 
divided the offers to be presented into four categories.  1) 
Logistics: logistical aid for the deployment of supplementary 
AU troops; 2) Strategic Assistance: The EU will aid in the 
development of the AU mission, and propose officers to help 
plan; 3)  Training: The EU will propose to assist in training 
those who want to join the AU mission from, for example, 
Rwanda and Senegal, before they join the mission;  4)  ESDP: 
The French will propose contributing air observer capacity in 
application of the UNSC resolution interdicting the 
overflight of the area by the Sudanese Army -- but only with 
the agreement of the government in Khartoum. 
 
IRAN 
 
3. (C) LeDeunff next turned to Iran, noting that Foreign 
Ministers Barnier, Straw and Fischer, along with Solana, will 
meet Iranian National Security Adviser Rohani in Geneva on 
May 25.  At the GAERC they will seek the support of the EU-25 
for their mission.  He said that the EU-3 will insist on four 
essential elements in their talks with the Iranians:  1) Iran 
must agree to the complete suspension of enrichment activity; 
2) in the case of a violation, the EU-3 would have no other 
option but to agree to refer the matter to the UNSC; 3) the 
EU-3 must continue to show Iran that they are interested in 
continuing negotiations if the Iranians are willing to 
participate in good faith; 4) the EU-3 must preserve 
international consensus (read U.S. support) behind their 
efforts. 
 
IRAQ 
 
4. (C) On Iraq, LeDeunff said the foreign ministers will 
discuss the June 22 Brussels conference, restate support for 
the new Iraqi government, and confirm European interest in 
participating in Iraqi reconstruction. 
 
UZBEKISTAN 
 
5.  (C) LeDeunff advised that the GAERC will issue a "firm" 
conclusion on Uzbekistan, condeming the brutal repression 
there and asking for access for humanitarian organizations to 
the region. In addition, he said, the EU will call for an 
international investigation of recent events there, and call 
on the regime to democratize. 
 
CHINA 
 
6. (C)  In response to our restatement of the strong U.S. 
position against lifting the China arms embargo, LeDeunff 
repeated French calls for the EU to take a decision on 
lifting the embargo by the end of June, as called for by the 
December 2004 European Council.  He noted the possibility of 
"rebaptizing" the toolbox to better convince U.S. legislators 
that it is "serious and legally constraining" and said France 
would be favorable to authorizing the Code of Conduct and the 
toolbox for a five-year period, after which the measures 
could be renewed by a unanimous vote of the Council. 
 
WOLFF