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O 051403Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4019
INFO RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA IMMEDIATE 7250
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 1074
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS PARIS 000034 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
FOR EB/IFD/ODF EMILY WAECHTER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM EFIN PTER ECON FR
SUBJECT: FRENCH ATTENDANCE AT LIBERIA PARTNERS FORUM 
 
REF: STATE 201818 
 
¶1.  (U) We passed the information about the February 13-14 
Liberia Partners Forum to our contacts in the French Finance 
and Foreign Ministries.  At the MFA, our contacts lauded USG 
plans to host the Forum, but regretted that a timing conflict 
with the biennial Africa-France summit of heads of state in 
Cannes would almost certainly impede FM Douste-Blazy, 
Minister Delegate for Cooperation & Development Girardin, or 
MFA AF A/S-Equivalent from traveling to Washington.  Our MFA 
contacts have pledged nonetheless to continue efforts to 
identify an appropriate and substantive French delegation for 
the Liberia Partners Forum. 
 
¶2.  (U) On December 27 Interim MFA West and Central African 
DAS-Equivalent Francis Blondet provided an update that former 
IMF head Michel Camdessus would likely represent France at 
the Liberia Partners Forum.  Camdessus, who is now a 
Counselor to President Chirac, would likely be joined by 
Pierre Andre Wiltzer, the High Representative for Security 
and Prevention of Conflicts, as well as Ambassador Xavier 
Darcos, the French Permanent Representative to the OECD. 
 
¶3.  (U) MFA AF PDAS-Equivalent Caroline Dumas and Acting 
DAS-Equivalent for West and Central Africa Francis Blondet 
have underscored to us the French commitment to Liberia, 
noting in a December 13 meeting that France just gave Liberia 
1 million euros through GEMAP, and plans to open an embassy 
in Monrovia in 2007.  They hope the Partners Forum will 
encourage greater IMF flexibility, with Blondet expressing 
concern that Liberia,s debt burden could otherwise force it 
to mortgage its natural resources. 
 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
 
HOFMANN