VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHFR #1304 1921029
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 101029Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3695
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE IMMEDIATE 0461

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001304 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/PSC CLARK 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2018 
TAGS: UNSC PREL PHUM ZI XA ZU UK FR
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE/UNSCR:  FRENCH "REASONABLY OPTIMISTIC" OF 
ADOPTION 
 
REF: A. STATE 73173 
     ¶B. LONDON 1823 
     ¶C. USUN 610 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Andew Young, 1.4 (b/d). 
 
(C)  French MFA IO desk officer Gurvan Le Bras on July 10 
said that France was ready to vote for adoption of the draft 
UNSC sanctions resolution on Zimbabwe (ref A) and to 
co-sponsor it.  The MFA had sent appropriate instructions to 
the French UN mission.  Le Bras said that the GOF was 
"reasonably optimistic" the resolution would be adopted, 
citing only Russia as a concern.  He was aware of the 
dynamics concerning Russia over this issue as described in 
refs B and C and the Russian request that the vote be delayed 
until July 11.  Le Bras said, however, that he did not 
believe the Russians would veto the text, given recent 
indications, most notably at the G-8 meeting in Japan, even 
if subsequent Russian declarations were more equivocal.  He 
thought that the Russian UN mission's request to delay the 
vote in order to receive formal instructions meant that the 
Russian UN mission wanted Moscow's confirmation not to veto 
the draft resolution rather than orders that Russia should 
veto it.  Le Bras agreed with the U.S. view (also expressed 
by French UN PermRep Ripert) that we should take advantage of 
the current momentum favoring adoption and seek a vote as 
soon as circumstances (i.e., the Russia issue) permit. 
 
 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Fran ce 
 
STAPLETON