VZCZCXRO1021
OO RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHFR #1144 1690738
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 170738Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3462
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0928
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 1351
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 6127
RUEHRK/AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK 0199
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 1633
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2764
UNCLAS PARIS 001144
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM KPAL UNRWA FR LE
SUBJECT: FRANCE WILL ATTEND VIENNA CONFERENCE ON NAHR
AL-BARID, BUT REPRESENTATION AND (UNLIKELY) FINANCIAL
CONTRIBUTION UNDECIDED
REF: STATE 60216
1. (U) Embassy passed reftel message on the Vienna
conference on Nahr al-Barid to the French MFA's equivalent to
the NEA bureau as well as to the staff of French Cooperation
Ministeron Alain Joyandet June 9. The French MFA had already
publicly saluted the Austrian initiative in a June 5
statement, indicating that it would attend without specifying
who would do so or the anticipated size of the French
contribution.
2. (SBU) During bilateral consultations on NEA issues,
French MFA NEA DAS-equivalent for the Levant Ludovic Pouille
confirmed to visiting NEA A/S Welch June 12 that France would
attend but not at the ministerial level. Pouille said it
would be difficult for France to offer a pledge given its
significant obligations to the Lebanese government under
Paris III. France also viewed the situation facing
Palestinian refugees affected by the fighting at Nahr
al-Barid and elsewhere in Lebanon primarily in terms of its
humanitarian and not its political aspects. Pouille added
that the GOF wanted the GOL to use the Vienna conference to
state clearly how it intended to proceed on this issue.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Fran ce
STAPLETON