VZCZCXYZ0008
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHFR #0327 0561344
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251344Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2071
INFO RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS PARIS 000327 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR/WE, EEB, EEB/ESC - KOPP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV IEA ENRG FR
SUBJECT: FRENCH RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON CHINA, INDIA 
MEMBERSHIP IN THE IEA 
 
REF: SECSTATE 14271 
 
¶1.  (SBU) EEB A/S Daniel Sullivan raised reftel demarche 
points with MFA Director for Economic and Financial Affairs 
Christian Masset February 13. Masset said he believed the 
beginnings of a GOF consensus on the issue were emerging. As 
a general principle President Sarkozy was in favor of greater 
inclusion of India and China in international institutions, 
and Elysee staffers with whom Masset had discussed the idea 
of IEA membership had not raised specific objections to it. 
France had not taken a decision on the issue yet, but in his 
view it would best to focus on outreach in the context of a 
technical dialogue in the initial stages, rather than to 
proceed directly to the question of changing OECD membership 
statutes, a matter of principle. Outreach and increased 
dialogue with India and China as a first step could help to 
build consensus around the issue among OECD members. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Econoff also discussed reftel demarche February 13 
with Pascal Schuster, International Strategy Chief of the 
General Directorate for Energy and Raw Materials (now part of 
the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development). 
Schuster noted that in previous years the idea of an 
associate membership for Russia had been discussed, and that 
this discussion would no doubt build on that. Full membership 
would require fulfillment of stockpiling requirements, which 
was clearly a goal that would receive considerable support. 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
 
 
PEKALA