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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001855 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: CMGT ETRD CVIS FR
SUBJECT: FRENCH GOVERNMENT INTENDS DISTRIBUTION OF SECURE E- 
PASSPORTS BY SUMMER 2006 
 
Reftel:  PARIS 1414 
 
¶1.   SUMMARY.  Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs 
Maura Harty and Paris Consul General Donald E. Wells met 
with the Director of French consular services, Francois 
Barry Martin Delongchamps at France's MFA on March 10. 
Ambassador Harty learned the GOF intends to begin 
distribution of its e-passport in April.  The GOF has also 
introduced a new machine-readable, emergency passport 
featuring a digital photo and other security features 
intended to meet current Visa Waiver Program (VWP) 
requirements.  This passport is not meant to substitute for 
current full-validity passports that do not conform to VWP 
rules, but the MFA offered to allow some French citizens 
traveling to the U.S. to apply for this passport as an MFA 
courtesy.  Delongchamps also raised the issue of visa 
requirements for French nationals traveling between France 
and French Polynesia.  On a topic raised by A/S Harty, 
Delongchamps was supportive of the USG position during 
discussions of the Hague case of Esther LaFourcade.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  Ambassador Maura Harty, Assistant Secretary for Consular 
Affairs and Embassy Paris Consul General Donald E. Wells met 
with the Director of Services for French Citizens Living 
Abroad at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 10. 
 
DISTRIBUTION OF FRENCH E-PASSPORTS BY APRIL 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  Delongchamps informed Ambassador Harty that problems 
surrounding who would print France's e-passport (Reftel) had 
been resolved.  The GOF will begin issuing its e-passport in 
April out of its central processing facility in Nantes. 
This same passport will also be produced in June at some of 
France's larger consular sections, such as the one in 
Washington, DC.  The new e-passport will conform to ICAO, 
European Union and U.S. standards. 
 
¶4.  The MFA has already started issuing a new one-year 
validity emergency passport at consular missions abroad. 
Though issued for emergency travel, this passport 
incorporates a digital photo.  Delongchamps assumed it would 
be valid for travel to the U.S. without a visa because it is 
machine-readable and includes other security features that 
meet ICAO standards.  A/S Harty told Delongchamps she would 
take exemplars of this new temporary-use passport to DHS for 
examination.  Ambassador Harty also agreed to provide DHS' 
decision on the documents to the MFA through Embassy Paris. 
(Note: State 44888 already contains the results of A/S 
Harty's inquiry). 
 
¶5.  Ambassador Harty asked if the GOF could issue the French 
emergency passport to U.S.-bound travelers if this new 
document is VWP compliant.  Delongchamps explained the MFA 
did not intend the emergency passport to be used by French 
travelers needing a visa for U.S. travel to circumvent to 
the visa application process at Embassy Paris.  First, 
French consuls in Europe's visa-free travel Schengen 
countries are not obligated to issue French citizens an 
emergency issuance passport but can require them to travel 
back to France and apply for a full-validity passport. 
Second, France's consulates in neighboring countries would 
not be able to meet the needs of the high volume of 
travelers to the U.S. due to the lengthy security checks 
that are required to apply for a French passport abroad. 
Delongchamps offered the possibility that the MFA could meet 
the USG "half-way" and offer the issuance of an emergency 
issuance passport at a neighboring country consulate to U.S.- 
bound travelers on a case-by-case as a "courtesy." 
 
FRENCH ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTY TRAVELING TO AND FROM FRENCH 
POLYNESIA 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶6.  Delongchamps next raised the issue of French travelers 
to and from Tahiti with passports issued after October 26, 
2005 who currently are required to apply for a visa to 
transit.  The only practical route from Papeete to French 
territory requires travelers to transit the U.S. via Los 
Angeles using Air Tahiti, the only airline offering direct 
flights between these two parts of France.  This has proved 
especially difficult for French citizens resident in French 
Polynesia.  The nearest U.S. consulate is located in Suva, 
requiring eight hours of travel each way prior to boarding 
the flight transiting Los Angeles.  The GOF perceives this 
as a sovereignty issue as these travelers are citizens 
traveling between territories of the same country.  This 
situation could also is likely to have adverse economic 
consequences for Air Tahiti. 
 
¶7.  Ambassador Harty clarified that there are currently no 
exceptions to transiting the U.S. without a visa if a 
passport does not meet VWP requirements.  She offered to 
explore whether or not an exception could be made for French 
citizens who are resident in French Polynesia. 
DELONGCHAMPS APPEARS SUPPORTIVE OF HAGUE CASE INVOLVING 
ESTHER LAFOURCADE 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶8.  Delongchamps expressed concern and support for the U.S. 
position on The Hague case involving Esther LaFourcade an 
American citizen minor abducted and brought to France by her 
French citizen mother.  Ambassador Harty explained that the 
USG differs with the French court's interpretation of 
Articles 12 and 13 of the Hague convention.  The court 
decision that granted custody of Esther to her mother was 
based on these two articles.  As pertains to Article 12, 
Esther's U.S. citizen father filed a Hague petition in the 
French court system within the required 12 months, but was 
forced to wait 10 months before the case received a hearing. 
With regard to Article 13, while each country may decide the 
age at which a child is mature enough to express a choice as 
to which parent to reside with, the USG considers Esther, 
who was nine years old at the time of the case, to be too 
young to decide whether she wants to live with her mother or 
father. 
 
¶9.  While Delongchamps noted that the MFA is unable to 
override the court's decision, he appeared to agree with the 
USG view.  He stated that he will convey the U.S. 
perspective on Articles 12 and 13 of The Hague Convention to 
the French Ministry of Justice, including his concern about 
the outcome in the LaFourcade case and its implications for 
French obligations under the treaty. 
 
Stapleton