VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHFR #0024 0081730
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081730Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5209
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1873
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 6921
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 7062
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 6273
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 1390
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1276
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 2490
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1658
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3917

UNCLAS PARIS 000024 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PM/PPA (GLANCY, HOPKINS, FOSTER) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EWWT KCRM MOPS PBTS PHSA PTER SO XW FR
SUBJECT: FRANCE:  JANUARY 13-14 CONTACT GROUP MEETING ON 
SOMALI PIRACY 
 
REF: A. STATE 1223 
     ¶B. STATE 1225 
 
(SBU)  We conveyed on January 7 the materials in reftels 
concerning the January 13-14 meeting in New York on Somalia 
piracy issues, to Chantal Poiret, MFA official responsible 
for those issues, and to other MFA IO and AF officers.  On 
January 8, Jean-Hugues Simon-Michel, MFA PDAS for Strategic 
Affairs, Security, and Disarmament, responded, saying that 
the GOF had no major differences with the USG approach.  He 
noted that Poiret had been in contact with PM A/S Kimmitt 
directly and had provided feedback on our ideas for the 
meeting.  Simon-Michel said that France's main concern was 
that working with new and disparate partners such as China, 
India, (to a lesser extent) Russia, and others, with which 
Western countries had relatively little experience working in 
naval coalitions of the type contemplated, could present 
challenges that might be difficult to resolve quickly.  That 
said, Simon-Michel expressed appreciation for the work the 
USG had done in laying a firm foundation for the meeting. 
Simon-Michel said that he would accompany Poiret to the 
meeting and he expected that two officials (one a military 
officer) from France's UN delegation would also attend the 
meeting.  He hoped that the meeting could accommodate a 
French delegation of four participants. 
 
STAPLETON