VZCZCXRO1277
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDF RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHIK RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA
RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHFR #0805 1681322
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171322Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6470
INFO RHEBAAA/USDOE WASHDC
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0427
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0117

UNCLAS PARIS 000805 
 
SIPDIS 
NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION 
 
SENSITIVE 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG KGHG FR
SUBJECT: FRENCH RESPONSE TO U.S. VIEWS ON THE INTERNATIONAL 
RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY 
 
REF: SECSTATE 61286 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  On June 15 Mr. Sylvain Fourriere, Director of 
Energy Issues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Bureau of 
Global Public Goods, told ESTH Counselor that France 
welcomes the US Government interest in joining the 
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).  While 
normally the French default position would be to support 
the German Government's proposal of Bonn as the IRENA 
headquarters, the French Government will not make a 
decision on its position until next week. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Fourriere explained that France has several reasons for 
supporting Dubai as the headquarters.  For a start, building on 
visits by President Sarkozy, France has been developing closer 
relations with the UAE 
government, such as establishing a new French military base 
there, and proposing to sell civilian nuclear power 
reactors.  Secondly, France is proposing as the French 
candidate for IRENA Director General Helene Pelouse, the 
current deputy director of the secretariat staff of 
Jean-Louis Borloo, the Minister of State for Ecology, 
Energy, Sustainable Development and Regional Planning 
(MEEDDAT), and formerly the chief diplomatic counselor to 
Borloo.  France's thinking is that selection of Dubai as 
the headquarters would facilitate election of a European as 
the Director General, while selection of Bonn would made 
her election difficult due to the perception of excessive 
European influence.   France will ratify the IRENA 
Agreement soon in order to give extra impetuous to 
Pelouse's candidacy. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Fourriere agreed that IRENA should be structured 
to avoid overlap, and pointed out that the OECD's 
International Energy Agency (IEA), headquartered in Paris, 
has been in discussions with current IRENA staff about 
coordination to avoid duplication.  (IEA staff confirmed 
that they have had contacts with IRENA staff on this 
point.)  Also, coordination would be needed with other 
multinational organizations promoting various kinds of 
renewable energy. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Post will report the MFA's decision on which IRENA 
headquarters site to support. 
 
 
PEKALA