VZCZCXRO2392
PP RUEHAST
DE RUEHFR #5837/01 2421548
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 301548Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0867
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 005837 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV EUN UNSC TU PTER NATO FR
SUBJECT: FM DOUSTE-BLAZY'S SPEECH TO FRENCH AMBASSADORS 
 
REF: PARIS 5811 
 
PARIS 00005837  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  Foreign Minister Douste-Blazy addressed 
the annual conference of French ambassadors on August 29, 
echoing many of the same themes outlined by President Chirac 
in his address to the ambassadors the day before (reftel). 
Douste-Blazy stressed the exceptional role France still plays 
in international affairs during a crucial time.  Like Chirac, 
Douste-Blazy warned of "conflicts of civilizations" and 
stressed the importance of political processes and 
multilateral diplomacy over unilateral military action.  The 
lesson to be gleaned from recent crises in the Middle East is 
that force alone has its limits (the US in Iraq and Israel in 
the Palestinian territories and Lebanon were cited), and he 
encouraged collective action by the international community 
to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the region's 
other pressing problems.  He termed Iran's latest response to 
the international community on its nuclear program as 
"ambiguous," as it left aside the essential question of 
enrichment.  However, he noted Iran's openness to dialogue 
and discussion. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Douste-Blazy told the ambassadors that European 
Union (EU) enlargement should be tied to its capacity to 
absorb new members, and that institutional reforms should 
occur within the framework of existing treaties. He stressed 
the importance of "solidarity" as a guiding principle of 
French foreign policy, pointing to UNITAID (French initiative 
to use a tax on airline tickets to finance health and related 
assistance efforts in the developing world) as evidence of 
France's commitment to addressing the barriers between "North 
and South."  Douste-Blazy supported cultural diversity and 
democracy, while noting that the West cannot impose democracy 
on others.  Finally, he called for a more operational French 
diplomacy and repositioning to take account of new global 
demographics.  END SUMMARY. 
 
FRANCE'S EXCEPTIONAL ROLE IN GLOBAL POLITICS 
 
¶3. (SBU) In his August 29 address to the annual Ambassadors' 
Conference in Paris, characterized as his "personal 
reflections," Foreign Minister Douste-Blazy stressed the 
important role France continues to play on the global stage, 
saying France's point of view is "solicited, waited for, and 
observed," and that among France's partners, France's 
positions "often generate admiration, sometimes irritation, 
but rarely indifference."  Citing France's permanent seat on 
the UN Security Council, its participation in the G-8, its 
role in the EU and NATO, its nuclear capacity, and France's 
cultural and technological assets, Douste-Blazy asserted that 
France would remain a major global actor.  He cited as 
accomplishments France's "showing the way in the Middle 
East," UNITAID, the ongoing debate over EU enlargement, and 
UNESCO's adoption of the convention on cultural diversity in 
the face of U.S. opposition. 
 
MIDDLE EAST CRISES OFFER LESSONS 
 
¶4. (SBU) Douste-Blazy pointed to the current crises in the 
Middle East as providing a prominent illustration of the 
importance of French action over the past year.  Stating that 
the Middle East crises provide critical lessons to the world 
community, he said the "first lesson" is that military force 
alone has its limits.  He cited "American intervention" in 
Iraq, the situation in the Palestinian territories, and the 
recent crisis in Lebanon as examples of the limitations of 
military operations as the sole answer to the problems of the 
region. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Moreover, the Foreign Minister stressed the 
importance of "collective action and the cohesion of the 
international community" in addressing the problems of the 
Middle East, stating that no one state can act alone to 
provide international security.  Pointing to the importance 
of the UN Security Council in addressing these crises (and 
stating that "the UN is us"), Douste-Blazy explained that 
France waited to clarify rules of engagement and the chain of 
command for the UNIFIL force in Lebanon to implement Security 
Council Resolution 1701 in order to improve the effectiveness 
of the peacekeeping operations in Lebanon.  Without referring 
specifically to enlargement of the UN Security Council or 
using Chirac's phrases of "multipolarity" and "grand poles," 
Douste-Blazy added that France emphasized the importance of 
working closely with the U.S., Russia, China, and "new 
regional powers like South Africa, Brazil, and India." 
 
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT CAUSES FOREIGN MINISTER CONCERN 
 
¶6. (SBU) Douste-Blazy declared his "profound concern" over 
 
PARIS 00005837  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  The Foreign Minister 
opined that the "positive dynamic" created in Israel during 
the recent elections is now in question, and that on the 
Palestinian side Hamas has not accepted European conditions 
for dialogue (i.e., recognition of Israel, renunciation of 
violence, and acceptance of past agreements such as Oslo). 
Stressing France's support for Palestinian Authority 
President Mahmoud Abbas and the need for multilateral action, 
Douste-Blazy called for a return to the Quartet to find a way 
forward in the conflict.  He also pointed to the "document of 
national entente" signed by the various parties in the 
Palestinian Legislature on June 27 as a positive step in the 
development of responsible Palestinian governance. 
 
IRANIAN RESPONSE AMBIGUOUS 
 
¶7. (SBU) Addressing international concerns over Iran's 
nuclear energy program, Douste-Blazy characterized the latest 
Iranian response to the international community as 
"ambiguous," stating that it leaves aside the essential 
question of whether Iran is pursuing the enrichment of 
uranium.  An Iranian gesture here was essential for 
reestablishing confidence among the negotiating parties. 
However, Douste-Blazy noted the openness of the Iranian 
regime to dialogue and discussion.  "Without renouncing our 
demands about suspension, France is also ready to renew the 
dialogue.  But it must be one that is lucid, concrete, and 
responsible," he declared.  "We want this dialogue rapidly, 
with the aim of seriously discussing and finding solutions to 
the nuclear problem." 
 
DON'T NEGLECT CRISES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Foreign Minister urged the ambassadors not to 
forget crises in other parts of the world despite the 
attention required to address issues in the Middle East, and 
named crises in Darfur, Somalia, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, South 
Asia, the Korean Peninsula, and Haiti as examples.  He 
declared that "solidarity" is among the principles guiding 
French action in the world, and noted the importance of 
French financing and development programs like UNITAID, a 
French-initiated effort to finance health and related 
assistance efforts in the developing world through a tax on 
airline tickets.  He stated that France's development 
programs are meant to address "the gap between North and 
South in matters of health, education, and quality of life." 
 
 
EUROPEAN INTEGRATION: LINK ENLARGEMENT TO ABSORPTION CAPACITY 
 
¶9. (SBU) Noting France's goals for European integration, 
Douste-Blazy echoed President Chirac's call to ensure that EU 
enlargement is linked to its capacity to absorb new members. 
Institutionally, he encouraged EU member states to work for 
now within the framework of existing treaties.  Noting the 
importance of Franco-German relations, the Foreign Minister 
stated that he expects the Germans to begin important 
initiatives in this regard during the period of the German 
presidency in 2007, and that they could reach fruition during 
the French presidency in 2008.  He also stressed the need for 
a Europe of concrete projects, such as creating a truly 
European energy policy, in order to ensure that the EU can 
live up to its responsibilities at home and abroad. 
 
PROMOTE CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND DEMOCRACY, BUT RESPECT 
SOVEREIGNTY 
 
¶10. (SBU) Douste-Blazy spoke to the need to promote cultural 
diversity and respect in an era of globalization.  Addressing 
the promotion of democracy around the world, he opined that 
this is a difficult subject full of contradictions.  The West 
should not impose democracy on states, and should respect 
sovereignty while avoiding interference in internal affairs. 
He added that countries need time to develop the necessary 
foundations for democratic governance, including the rule of 
law, a free press, and an independent judiciary. 
 
GLOBAL REPOSITIONING IN THE CARDS FOR FRENCH DIPLOMATS 
 
¶11. (SBU) Noting that French diplomacy needs to become more 
"operational" in the face of changing global demographics, 
Douste-Blazy also addressed the need for global repositioning 
of French diplomats.  To that end, the Foreign Minister 
announced that 1,500 Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees 
would be repositioned to emerging countries, in particular 
China and India, between 2006 and 2008. 
 
 
 
 
PARIS 00005837  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
 
STAPLETON