VZCZCXRO1859
OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHFR #3870/01 1590933
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 080933Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8274
INFO RUCNOSC/OSCE POST COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 003870 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2016 
TAGS: OSCE PREL FR CFE
SUBJECT: FRENCH COMPLAIN ABOUT RUSSIAN ACTIONS IN OSCE, 
CALL FOR CLOSE "QUAD" CONSULTATIONS 
 
REF: USOSCE 234 
 
Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR BRUCE TURNER, FOR REASONS 1.4 
 B/D 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: MFA officials told visiting EUR/RPM Director 
Gary Robbins that France saw a "largely negative" context for 
the OSCE, primarily due to Russian intransigence.  Generally 
speaking, the West had a radically different vision of the 
OSCE than Russia, and it was important, they said, that 
member states not give in to constant Russian demands for 
"reform," which they view as a Russian tactic to block 
progress.  The MFA officials called for close consultations 
among the U.S., France, UK and Germany in the lead-up to the 
Brussels Ministerial.  They also underscored tight domestic 
budget considerations, which would compel France to insist on 
refocusing the OSCE on its core agenda.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) EUR/RPM Director Gary Robbins met on June 6 with Paul 
Dahan, the MFA's PDAS-equivalent for strategic affairs, 
Nicolas Niemtchinow, DAS-equivalent for strategic affairs and 
Eric Tosatti, OSCE desk officer.  Poloffs accompanied. 
 
------------------------------ 
RUSSIA AND THE "REFORM" CANARD 
------------------------------ 
 
¶3. (C) Dahan began by saying that the current context leading 
up to the Brussels Ministerial was "largely negative."  The 
Third CFE Review Conference (reftel) had not gone well, and 
over the past year, Russia had flexed its muscle in a number 
of worrying ways, including the January 2006 energy crisis. 
At issue, concluded Dahan, was a basic "values gap" between 
Russia, which wanted a rigid OSCE organization and weak 
principles, and the West, which wanted a more supple 
organization and strong principles.  It was critically 
important, said Dahan, to stop the Russian drive to "reform" 
the OSCE, an obvious attempt to remake the organization to 
reflect Russian priorities.  Robbins agreed, and emphasized 
the importance of avoiding any tendency to meet the Russians 
half-way on these proposals, which would serve only to weaken 
the organization.  Better to have no consensus than agreement 
on bad ideas.  Although insisting on the importance of being 
firm and of telling the Russians no, Dahan said France might 
be nonetheless open to a few "nano-carrots."  Niemtchinow 
added that under no circumstance would these carrots 
compromise principles or involve money.  They would be 
"window-dressing carrots," and would only be offered after 
positive Russian actions.  One example, said Dahan, might be 
to allow ODIHR results to be published in Russian as well as 
English.  Dahan and Niemtchinow called for close 
consultations, bilaterally or also including Germany and the 
UK, to present positive proposals in advance of the Brussels 
Ministerial. 
 
---------------- 
FROZEN CONFLICTS 
---------------- 
 
¶4. (C) The key to the frozen conflicts, said Dahan, is to 
re-establish confidence with Russia.  He said that NATO 
enlargement into the former Soviet space encourages Russia 
not to act positively with regard to these conflicts, for 
fear of losing leverage.  Russia needs the frozen conflicts 
because they serve as "irritants" to the West, said Dahan. 
Robbins said the USG continues to raise with Moscow its role 
in the frozen conflicts, most recently concerning Russian 
encroachment into South Ossetia.  Robbins also praised French 
support at the CFE Review Conference in maintaining 
insistence of Russia's fulfillment of the Istanbul 
commitments.  He noted that the USG was readying a two 
million dollar donation for the June donors conference in 
Brussels.  Dahan said France would send its Ambassador to 
Georgia and MFA officials, but would only be able to make a 
"symbolic" offer, due to budgetary constraints. 
 
--------------- 
KAZAKHSTAN 2009 
--------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Dahan assured Robbins that France agreed with the USG 
that any CIO should reflect the values of the organization. 
It was difficult to make this case for Kazakhstan.  Noting 
president of the Senate Christian Poncelet's recent visit to 
Kazakhstan, he said Poncelet's implicit endorsement of 
Kazakhstan's bid was not the official French position, but 
did reflect pressures on the French government coming from 
commercial sectors.  France would not insist either way, and 
would join consensus, said Dahan. 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
 
 
PARIS 00003870  002 OF 002 
 
 
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