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OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHFR #5824/01 2421207
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 301207Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0854
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 0436

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 005824 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2016 
TAGS: PREL FR EUN GE MARR MOPS PHUM XF
SUBJECT: CHIRAC/MERKEL FOCUS ON LEBANON, MIDDLE EAST; 
EVOLVING FRENCH VIEWS ON TURKEY? 
 
REF: PARIS 5811 
 
Classified By: PolMC Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (B & D). 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  The August 25 informal Blaesheim meeting 
between President Chirac and German chancellor Merkel and 
their foreign ministers focused on Lebanon and the situation 
in the Middle East.  Merkel publicly supported France's 
position on lifting the Israeli air/sea blockade of Lebanon, 
with Germany pledged to coordinate closely with France on 
contacts with Syria.  Further discussion focused on Iran 
(need to maintain Western unity), the Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict (support the Quartet), and the DRC (EU operation 
judged a success).  On the EU, both sides rehearsed familiar 
positions on the constitutional treaty and enlargement; of 
note, however, the Germans profess to perceive a softening of 
French attitudes toward Turkey as a result of its role in 
Lebanon/UNIFIL (a shift which was not confirmed by our French 
contact).  Bilateral discussions focused on the October joint 
ministerial meeting, where integration of minorities is to be 
on the agenda.  German FM Steinmeier participated August 28 
in France's annual conference of ambassadors, with FM 
Douste-Blazy planning to reciprocate the following week in 
Berlin.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Deputy PolCouns met August 29 with German PolCouns 
Gerhard Almer and French MFA DAS-equivalent for Central 
Europe Christophe Leonzi for a briefing on the August 25 
"Blaesheim-format" summit meeting between President Jacques 
Chirac and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, which also 
included the participation of foreign ministers Douste-Blazy 
and Steinmeier.  Steinmeier also attended the August 28 
session of the annual conclave of French ambassadors where 
Chirac spoke (reftel) and delivered remarks that same 
evening.  Leonzi indicated that Douste-Blazy would 
reciprocate by attending the German ambassadors' conference 
the following week in Berlin.  In a symbolic gesture, Chirac 
and Merkel also laid a wreath at the foot of a statue of 
Charles de Gaulle to celebrate the 62th anniversary of the 
liberation of Paris. 
 
¶3.  (C) Almer reviewed the history of the Blaesheim format as 
prelude to the briefing, recalling that "a new beginning" was 
needed after the December 2000 EU summit talks in Nice under 
the French presidency, where Chirac had pursued French 
national interests to the detriment of EU consensus, ridding 
roughshod over German desiderata in partticular.  He 
underlined the meetings' emphasis on holding informal 
exchanges on topical issues, during which each country was 
expected "put its cards on the table" on sensitive issues, 
with the aim of allowing them to take their respective 
interests into subsequent account when formulating policies. 
The meetings are roughly timed, he said, to precede European 
Council meetings.  Almer recounted that Merkel had agreed 
early to continue the meetings begun under her predecessor, 
while highlighting her more "rational" (what the Germans call 
"scientific") approach to the relationship, in which personal 
sentiments were not a significant factor. 
 
Lebanon 
------- 
¶4.  (C) Almer said discussions of Lebanon/UNIFIL were less 
extensive than otherwise might have been the case, given 
Chirac's August 24 television address announcing France's 
decision to contribute another 1600 soldiers to UNIFIL 
(beyond the 200 offered earlier, and in addition to the 200 
already in UNIFIL).  In response to a question about Merkel's 
public support for France's demand that Israel lift its air 
and sea blockade of Lebanon, Almer responded that Merkel had 
taken this decision before her arrival in Paris and pointed 
out that Merkel, rather than Chirac, had raised this issue 
first during their joint press conference on August 25. 
(Leonzi did not appear fully informed on this point.)  As 
Steinmeier also made clear in his August 28 remarks to French 
ambassadors, Germany had offered to station ships offshore to 
monitor arms smuggling as an alternative to the Israeli 
blockade, but lifting the blockade was a precondition for 
their deployment. 
 
Syria 
----- 
¶5.  (C) Asked about the differing positions of Paris and 
Berlin on engaging Syria, Almer responded that Steinmeier had 
consulted with Douste-Blazy prior to his earlier, planned 
visit.  (Note:  Steinmeier subsequently broke off the visit 
in response to Syrian President Asad's aggressive public 
remarks.)  Almer claimed that Douste-Blazy was comfortable 
with German attempts to engage Syria, notwithstanding 
France's current policy of no dialogue.  Steinmeier discussed 
German intentions again August 28 with Douste-Blazy, 
 
PARIS 00005824  002 OF 003 
 
 
according to Almer, who said both sides had agreed that 
German efforts should continue so long as this was on the 
basis of a common position on expectations.  (Leonzi was not 
as specific, referring only to close coordination.)  Germany, 
said Almer, continued to believe that Syria retained a key 
role in the region.  Leonzi added that France wanted Syria to 
play a constructive role in the region but did not at this 
time have confidence that it was prepared to do so. 
 
Iran 
---- 
¶6.  (C) Almer did not elaborate on the discussion of Iran, 
except to note Germany's analysis that the Iranians were 
attempting to drive wedges not only between the Europeans and 
the U.S., or between Europe/U.S. and Russia/China, but also 
among European countries.  It was for this reason, he said, 
that Tehran was not prepared to accept a visit by Solana. 
Leonzi stressed the importance of maintaining Western unity 
on Iran. 
 
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 
---------------------------- 
¶7.  (C) Almer said that France and Germany had agreed that 
the Lebanon situation could only be resolved within the 
framework of a political process that included dealing with 
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Asked whether France and 
Germany were considering new initiatives, he affirmed that 
the current focus was on a return to the Road Map and an 
early meeting of the Quartet.  Separately, he expressed some 
concern about the stability of the Olmert government.  Leonzi 
had no comments. 
 
Congo 
----- 
¶8.  (C) Almer said that Germany, while concerned about recent 
unrest in the DRC following the elections, nonetheless judged 
that the EU forces had played a useful role in keeping the 
peace.  Leonzi indicated that France played a key advisory 
role with Germany and noted the challenge for Berlin of 
managing public opinion. 
 
Europe 
------ 
¶9.  (C) Asked about the EU-related discussions, Almer noted 
that Germany accepted France's need to refer to the EU's 
absorptive capacity in considering future enlargements, 
although Berlin did not understand how this was to be 
operationalized, since the criterion did not lend itself to 
quantification.  Germany, he said, did not want France to 
take this new criterion too far, although Berlin understood 
that Paris, for domestic consumption, needed reasons to be 
able to claim that enlargement had been slowed down.  He said 
there was no significant discussion of European Union 
institutions, although Chirac reiterated the need to do the 
most possible within the framework of existing treaties. 
Steinmeier, Almer said, stressed the importance of 
resurrecting the substance of the failed constitutional 
treaty but minus the word "constitution" and much of the 
symbolism. 
 
Turkey 
------ 
¶10.  (C) Almer said that Turkey's announced intention to 
contribute forces to UNIFIL was leading to a greater 
appreciation by France's of Turkey's strategic importance. 
Steinmeier stated in his remarks to French ambassadors that 
it was the EU's duty to make the Balkans part of Europe, and 
for Turkey "to be close" to Europe.  When Deputy PolCouns 
responded that this sounded like less than a ringing 
endorsement, Almer disagreed.  Germany and France had earlier 
been focused on what steps the EU would take, including 
breaking off accession negotiations with Turkey, if, as 
expected, Turkey did not implement by December the Ankara 
Protocol on extending the EU-Turkey customs union to new 
member states.  Earlier, he stated, many of his French 
interlocutors would have responded with "all the better." 
After the August 25 discussions, however, Germany had the 
impression that "something had changed" and that France would 
now act more cautiously in view of Turkey's potential role in 
Lebanon and influence in the region.  At a minimum, he 
speculated, France now would not want to close the door 
completely on eventual accession.  Leonzi offered no 
encouragement that the French position had changed, 
underlining only that pressure would mount on Turkey to 
implement in full the Ankara Protocol on extending the 
customs union. 
 
Bilateral Issues 
---------------- 
 
 
PARIS 00005824  003 OF 003 
 
 
¶11.  (C) Almert said the upcoming October joint ministerial 
meeting would focus on integration and equality and would 
include a meeting in Paris between the German and French 
minister-delegates for minority issues (Minister-Delegate for 
Equal Opportunity Azouz Begag on the French side).  There 
would also be an economic piece, although it was not yet 
decided whether the focus would be on innovation, energy, or 
some other issue. 
 
¶12.  (C) Asked if there were any plans to mark the end of 
Chirac's term and his contribution to Franco-German 
friendship, Almer said this was not the case.  Citing 
Schroeder's "personal" visit to Paris, with spouse, before 
his departure, he said Germany would prefer to keep it 
low-key.  He had no information on possible French plans. 
 
¶13.  (C) Asked about German contacts with leading French 
presidential contenders, Almer said Merkel already knew 
Sarkozy in his capacity as President of a center-right sister 
party.  She would, however, await the designation of the 
Socialist party's candidate before meeting with him or her. 
 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
 
STAPLETON