US embassy cable - 05PARIS4713

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 004713 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, FR 
SUBJECT: COUNSELOR ZELIKOW'S CONSULTATIONS WITH PRIME 
MINISTER'S ACTING DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, FOR REAS 
ONS 1.4 B/D 
 
1. (C) Summary: Counselor Philip Zelikow met June 27 with 
Christophe Farnaud, PM de Villepin's acting diplomatic 
advisor, to discuss a range of issues, including ways to 
further US-French C/T cooperation and the importance of 
strengthening US-French strategic and political dialogue. 
Farnaud said the US would find France willing to engage in 
such discussions.  He also stated that France attached great 
importance to two themes: multilateralism and the rule of 
law.  Farnaud, a long-time advisor to Villepin, said the 
Prime Minister could be expected, given his background as a 
Foreign Minister, to engage in certain, as yet undefined, 
areas of foreign policy.  End summary. 
 
2. (U) Zelikow was accompanied by Polmincouns Josiah 
Rosenblatt, David Aidekman, C staff, and Poloff Peter 
Kujawinski (note taker).  Farnaud was accompanied by Frederic 
Mondolini, Farnaud's technical advisor on strategic and 
nonproliferation issues. 
 
THE POTENTIAL OF US-FRENCH RELATIONS 
 
3. (C) Farnaud, who had only recently assumed his role as 
acting diplomatic advisor to the Prime Minister, said 
portfolios were still in flux, but that the basic role of the 
Prime Minister in foreign affairs was the same: work towards 
consensus among the ministries, and even, where necessary, 
impose consensus.  Although Villepin's priority focus would 
be on reducing the unemployment rate and strengthening the 
EU, Farnaud said the Prime Minister would probably maintain 
an engagement in international affairs.  In comparison to 
ex-PM Raffarin, who never visited the United States, 
Villepin, said Farnaud, would probably be more interested in 
foreign travel.  Farnaud noted that Villepin had attended 
school in the United States, and was "pro-American."  The 
Prime Minister, said Farnaud, would be "ready to (visit the 
U.S.) when the time comes." 
 
4. (C) Zelikow characterized US-French relations as excellent 
in certain areas; for example, Lebanon/Syria and 
counter-terrorism.  Still, he said there was great potential 
for further improvement in the relationship.  Cooperation 
over the past months demonstrated that when working together, 
the US and France were a very powerful team.  He said the 
EU-3's approach on Iran had been handled with great skill 
because of the leadership of the UK and France.  The US and 
France faced significant challenges over the next 2-3 years, 
said Zelikow, and both countries needed to address these 
problems together.  Farnaud said that there was no will in 
France to show that "we are against the Americans," and that 
France was certainly open to opportunities for further 
cooperation. 
 
5. (C) France focused on two themes in foreign affairs, said 
Farnaud: first, the importance of working multilaterally to 
solve problems and second, the importance of the rule of law 
to support and give legitimacy to international actions. 
Zelikow replied that, despite the U.S.'s reputation, we are 
committed to working with multilateral institutions. 
However, there are more demands on these institutions since 
the end of the Cold War, and they need reform to make them 
more effective.  Regarding the rule of law, Zelikow said 
international law is fragmentary and evolving, and therefore, 
at times, insufficient to the demands of a post 9/11 world. 
Nevertheless, Zelikow said the U.S. would approach these 
issues with pragmatism.  As an example, he pointed to the UN 
resolution on Sudan, which was very difficult because of 
different theologies, but ultimately, the resolution passed 
with consensus. 
 
COUNTER-TERRORISM STRATEGY CONSULTATIONS 
 
6. (C) Zelikow described his visit to Paris as an opportunity 
to start a different path in US-French relations, adding a 
strategic and political dimension to our already-excellent 
intelligence and tactical cooperation.  The U.S. wanted to 
discuss key problem areas in the world and compare 
strategies.  This was an important step for the U.S., said 
Zelikow, as we analyze how to respond to the threat of 
terrorism in the long-term.  Zelikow said the U.S. was 
reconceptualizing its strategy regarding terrorism, and was 
beginning to move away from a focus on the term "war" to a 
focus on a long-term strategy against "violent extremism." 
Farnaud said this reconceptualization was very useful and 
that France was very open to this idea: "It puts you and us 
closer together."  Everyone agreed, said Farnaud, that the 
9/11 attacks were a watershed, and that terrorism was a 
long-term issue that would take many years to address. 
 
7. (C) Zelikow said he wanted to refocus attention on 
US-French strategic talks because the quality of current 
strategic discussions was too thin and fragmentary.  He said 
that too often US-French discussions were very issue-oriented 
and reactive, and never went further than the "daily inbox." 
Farnaud said that France was "very open" to a dialogue on 
strategy, and that France was ready to do more where 
necessary.  As an example, he said France was very active in 
the Euro-Med process to support reform in the Middle East, 
especially because Mediterranean countries were "direct 
neighbors" to the European Union.  He added that France 
considered it essential to support reform, but not to impose 
it.  France was interested in discussing how best to push 
democratic reform from the inside. 
 
8. (U) Counselor Zelikow's staff cleared this cable. 
STAPLETON