Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Nuclear Issues - North Korea

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

291248Z Sep 05

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 006683

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY; BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU; AF/PA;
EUR/WE /P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA; INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA
FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR
AND PASS USTR/PA; USINCEUR FOR PAO; NATO/PA; MOSCOW/PA;
ROME/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Nuclear Issues - North Korea
European Issues - Turkey
PARIS - Thursday, September 29, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

Nuclear Issues - North Korea
European Issues - Turkey

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

Front pages and most editorials are overwhelmingly devoted to
France's economic situation after Finance Minister Breton
announced his budget plans for 2006. For Le Figaro "France Is
Settled in Its Deficits" while Liberation headlines "A Budget
and No Credit." With a tinge of irony, La Croix headlines
"Economic Shipwreck and Social Mutiny" in reference to
yesterday's high-jacking of a Corsican ferry in the labor
stand-off between the company's employees and the government.
The spectacular outcome of the high-jacking and the continuing
negotiations with the unions are today's second major story.
In her editorial, Dominique Quinio asks: "Why does social
negotiation have to turn into guerrilla warfare (in France?)
While no one can predict how the SNCM deal will turn out, the
damages are already visible as far as France's image is
concerned. This act of piracy by a labor union will not help
convince foreign investors to come to France, and those
already here, to stay." The editorial in weekly L'Express
comments: "France is not advancing in step with the
international economy. Airbus, the swallow, does not make an
economic summer! It is time to acknowledge that time is
against us and the more we wait the more difficult it will be
for France to catch up with the world."

On the international front, Algeria and today's referendum
vote on a "charter for peace" are today's widest covered news
story.
Europe's position on Turkey, as the October 3 negotiations
near, is the second most important international story. Le
Monde reports that 43 National Assembly Representatives have
written to President Chirac to alert him to their "serious
reticence, aversion even, to the idea of opening negotiations"
with Turkey. They explain that their reticence is "all the
more intense because the Turkish government is rejecting all
other options besides a full EU membership." Several articles
report on Strasbourg's Euro-Deputies "warning" to Turkey. (See
Part C)

Liberation carries an op-ed by senior columnist Jacques
Amalric on "Kim Jong-il's Nuclear Game." (See Part C)

Both France Soir and Liberation report on NOAA'a latest
figures on gas emissions. For France Soir, which quotes NOAA
Director David Hofmann, the conclusion is that "the planet is
being asphyxiated." Both Liberation and France Soir point out
that China's gas emissions will be replacing those previously
emitted over Europe and the U.S.

Liberation carries a report on FM Douste-Blazy titled "The
Minister of Affairs Foreign to Him." The gently critical
portrait of Douste-Blazy recalls his recent diplomatic
blunders, but is not overwhelmingly nasty, acknowledging that
the FM has Chirac's confidence.

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

Nuclear Issues - North Korea

"The Nuclear Game"
Jacques Amalric in left-of-center Liberation (09/29): "In
spite of the initial euphoria that followed the agreement with
North Korea, it can be said that nuclear proliferation still
has a future. This was confirmed by the shaky deal that was
signed after the Six Party talks. The agreement was too good
to be true. North Korea's turnaround led to a cynical remark
by Christopher Hill about life being too short to react to
every North Korean turnaround. The cat and mouse game between
the U.S. and North Korea will resume next month, if Kim Jong-
il deigns to send a negotiator to the next round of talks.
Jong-il can count on China and South Korea's support, all the
more so because President Bush continues to do battle on two
fronts: the Iraqi quagmire and domestic issues. This also
explains the less demanding stance adopted by Secretary Rice
since she took over as Secretary of State and sent John Bolton
to the UN. It is more than likely that America's new realism
will be interpreted by the Korean as a sign of weakness and an
invitation to close his country even more to the West.
Meanwhile, on the Iranian front, things are not going any
better."

European Issues - Turkey

"A Warning to Turkey"
Pierre Avril in right-of-center Le Figaro (09/29): "The
prospect of the October 3rd negotiations with Turkey hit a
sensitive nerve yesterday in Strasbourg among the European
Parliamentarians who voted and adopted a firm resolution
criticizing the dilly dallying of the Turkish government
regarding Cyprus and its policies on freedom of speech. In so
doing they also insisted on the `open' nature of the process
of negotiations. Under pressure from the French socialists,
they also stipulated that recognizing the Armenian genocide
would be a prerequisite to the EU membership. Although EU
Parliamentary positions are not legally binding, the
recommendations will make the negotiations even tougher."
STAPLETON

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