VZCZCXRO8035
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHFR #1040 0751703
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161703Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5705
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES  PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY 1957
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS PARIS 001040 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EB/TRA, EUR/WE 
USEU FOR MORENSKI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTIA EAIR ECON PREL FR
SUBJECT: FRANCE SUPPORTS U.S.-EU OPEN SKIES PLUS AGREEMENT 
 
REF: SECSTATE 29781 
 
¶1. (SBU) Econoff delivered reftel points March 14 to Olivier 
Berthelot, Technical Counselor for Aviation to Minister of 
Transportation Dominique Perben. Berthelot reiterated French 
support for the draft agreement, and said that Perben would 
be calling allies on the issue (mentioning the Netherlands, 
Ireland and Germany in particular) in advance of the March 22 
Council meeting to co-ordinate positions in order to prevent 
it foundering on the U.K.'s opposition. France's 
understanding is that unanimous consent is required for 
adoption. Perben apparently does not envisage making any 
public statements of support at this point. An earlier call 
to Jean-Michel Bour, Director of International and 
Multilateral Affairs at the French Civil Aviation Authority 
produced a similar statement of support for the agreement, 
though Bour implied that if pressure was needed to bring the 
U.K. around, it would have to be exercised by the U.S. rather 
than France. The Ambassador addressed a follow-up letter to 
Perben March 16 urging him to support the agreement both in 
public and with his European partners, including the U.K. 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) Acting Deputy Chief of Mission also discussed the 
issue March 8 with the Air France CEO's Chief of Staff, Guy 
Tardieu, who underlined Air France's support for the 
agreement, but expressing skepticism that the GOF would weigh 
in strongly with the U.K. in favor of the agreement.  Tardieu 
also underlined that Air France had quickly released a press 
communiqu on 6 March describing the advantages of the 
proposed agreement and "publicly supporting the final 
conclusion of an agreement."  That press release formed the 
basis of a very positive March 15 op-ed in the Wall Street 
Journal signed by Air France CEO Spinetta and KLM CEO Van 
Wijk. 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
 
STAPLETON