US embassy cable - 05PARIS5113

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 005113 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2015 
TAGS: PREL, SY, LE, ECON, ETRD, FR 
SUBJECT: GOF FULLY SUPPORTS OUR APPROACH ON SYRIAN-LEBANESE 
BORDER BLOCKAGE 
 
REF: STATE 135904 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Paul Mailhot, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d 
). 
 
(C) We discussed the Syrian-Lebanese border blockage (reftel) 
July 22 with MFA desk officer for Syria/Lebanon Remy 
Bouallegue, who confirmed that the GoF fully agreed that 
Syrian blockage of the border constituted interference aimed 
at destabilizing Lebanon.  Bouallegue noted France had 
toughened its public criticism of the border blockage and 
sought successfully to have a reference to the issue added to 
the recent EU General Affairs Council (GAERC) conclusions on 
Syria.  He added that the GoF would continue to pursue the 
issue on the basis of the GAERC language, which called on 
Syria to contribute to regional stability.  The GoF was 
approaching the UK EU Presidency and other EU members to 
encourage demarches on the issue to the Arab League, as well 
as to key Arab League members.  While confirming that France 
would raise the issue with other Arab League capitals, 
Bouallegue stressed the importance of having the EU take a 
collective position and weigh in with the Arab League 
Secretary-General and other regional governments.  He 
 
SIPDIS 
confirmed that the UK had already raised the issue in a 
recent human rights demarche to Damascus, and added that Arab 
League Secretary-General Amr Musa's recent approach to the 
Syrians on the issue was too soft and needed to be toughened. 
 
STAPLETON