VZCZCXYZ0007
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHFR #0713 1061349
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151349Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2617
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
INFO RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS PARIS 000713 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR MCAP MOPS PAC PREL FR
SUBJECT: STATUS OF FORCES AGREEMENT WITH FRANCE: FORMAL 
RESPONSE RECEIVED 
 
REF: A. 07 STATE 181912 
     ¶B. 07 PARIS 3630 
 
¶1. (U)  Sensitive but Unclassified - not for internet 
distribution. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On April 7, the diplomatic advisor to Defense 
Minister Morin, Frederic Mondoloni, sent a letter to the 
Political Minister-Counselor to respond formally to the 
November 2006 USG request for a Status of Forces Agreement 
(SOFA) to cover U.S. forces engaged in exercises or training 
in France's overseas departments in the Americas. A rough 
translation of the letter follows; the original will be 
pouched to the Department. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Translation of the letter - Begin text 
 
(Date) April 7, 2008 
 
From the Minister's Cabinet 
 
Dear Sir: 
 
At the end of 2006, your Embassy expressed the desire to 
negotiate an agreement to cover the status of armed American 
forces sent to France's overseas departments and communities 
for the purpose of exercises or training. 
 
The contents of this request, that I have reproduced in an 
annex, were the subject of a profound analysis by our legal 
services.  It appeared that some of the privileges and 
exemptions that you are requesting depart significantly from 
normal practices usually included in this type of agreement. 
It therefore appears to us to be important, before engaging 
in a long and complex negociating process due to the great 
variety of questions to be treated, to define more clearly 
your operational objectives.  This would allow us to achieve, 
in the shortest time possible, an effective mechanism adapted 
to your needs. 
 
Therefore, I propose that your experts make contact with Mr. 
Fabrice Leggeri, sous-director (DAS-equivalent) in 
international and european law, in our legal affairs section, 
to set up a meeting.  He can be reached at telephone: 
01-42-19-40-69. 
 
I offer you the assurance of my distinguished consideration. 
 
Sincerely 
 
Frederic Mondoloni 
Diplomatic Advisor to the Minister 
 
End text. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Comment: This response conforms to what we were 
told informally (ref b) last year; namely, that the GOF legal 
experts believe that the scope of exceptions and privileges 
contained in the standard SOFA that we provided in our 
initial demarche go beyond those accorded by France to other 
nations.  However, the offer to have our legal experts confer 
on a compromise agreement is new and the Embassy will be 
happy to support a meeting with the MOD legal expert named in 
the letter, should a legal team from the U.S. decide to 
travel to Paris to pursue this in the future.  End comment. 
 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
 
 
STAPLETON