VZCZCXRO6849
OO RUEHIK
DE RUEHFR #0076/01 0251233
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 251233Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8121
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 000076 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPAO KDEM OIIP FR HA
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RIVKIN ENGAGES ON HAITI AS FRENCH 
OFFICIALS HIGHLIGHT COOPERATION WITH U.S. 
 
REF: A. STATE 005277 
     ¶B. PARIS 65 
 
PARIS 00000076  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: Reinforcing the Secretary's message (ref 
A), Ambassador Rivkin engaged directly with over 100 French 
journalists in an event streamed live on-line by CNN where he 
highlighted U.S. assistance to Haiti and the cooperation of 
the United States with France, the UN, and the international 
community.  Embassy Paris has also reached out to senior 
officials in the Elysee and MFA, as well as French press and 
civil society at all levels to underscore the message of 
positive coordination with our French partners and to set the 
record straight on the work of the USG in Haiti.  Dismissing 
rumors of rising diplomatic tensions between the United 
States and France, leading government officials have 
consistently praised the work of the Obama administration on 
the ground and defended the need for a strong U.S. role in 
the emergency response.  Following Junior Cooperation 
Minister Alain Joyandet,s January 16 criticisms of the U.S. 
role in Haiti, the Ambassador, DCM, Political and Public 
Affairs section staff engaged with counterparts from the 
office of the President to the Foreign Minister and major 
French media outlets.  Major French media outlets generally 
have rejected the politicization of the relief effort and 
asserted their support for "indispensable" U.S. assistance. 
On January 20, Joyandet publicly corrected the record on 
the American presence in Haiti.  END SUMMARY. 
 
AMBASSADOR RIVKIN LEADS EMBASSY PARIS ENGAGEMENT ON HAITI 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Since the news of the earthquake reached France, 
Ambassador Rivkin, the Public Affairs (PA) Section and other 
sections at Embassy Paris have been actively engaged in 
publicly explaining what the USG is doing in support of the 
Haitian people.  On January 13, deputy press officer 
Detmeister appeared on France 24 in both English and French 
services to provide details of the immediate USG response. 
On January 14, Ambassador Rivkin outlined USG efforts in the 
wake of the earthquake at a background breakfast with leading 
French journalists.  Ambassador Rivkin took the opportunity 
to reiterate the closeness of the Franco-American 
collaboration in the relief efforts in front of former FM 
Hubert Vedrine, Junior Minister for Europe Pierre Lellouche, 
and National Assembly Foreign Policy Committee Chair Axel 
Poniatowski while participating in an on-the-record round 
table co-hosted by CNN (Jim Bittermann) and the French 
journal L'Express on January 20. More than 100 journalists, 
including those who blogged in, heard Ambassador Rivkin 
emphasize the importance of close coordination with France 
to the success of the emergency response and future 
reconstruction of Haiti. His positive assessment of the 
cooperation between France and the U.S. was fully endorsed 
by his three fellow panelists.  "Speaking for the 
government of France," Lellouche went out of his way to 
praise U.S.-French cooperation in Haiti and also cautioned 
the media and journalists present against turning attention 
from the work at hand.  These comments were echoed by former 
Foreign Minister Vedrine. 
 
FRENCH OFFICIALS HIGHLIGHT FRANCO-AMERICAN COOPERATION 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In a televised address from the French island of 
Mayotte on January 19, President Sarkozy highlighted "the 
exceptional mobilization of President Obama and the American 
administration," praising the role the U.S. has played with 
France in the relief effort as "essential."  Sarkozy 
underscored the spirit of cooperation, saying that "today, 
(France and the United States) are confronting, together, a 
humanitarian emergency...tomorrow it is together that we will 
mobilize the international community to respond to the 
enormous reconstruction needs."  The Office of the French 
President had released a statement earlier that day 
emphasizing that "French authorities are entirely satisfied 
with the cooperation between our two countries and beyond 
that, with the permanent coordination between the crisis 
centers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the American 
Department of State.  The Elysee applauds the exceptional 
mobilization of the United States for Haiti's sake and the 
essential role that (the U.S.) plays on the ground."  The 
clarification amplified and expanded on comments made by 
Presidency chief of staff Claude Gueant, who welcomed the 
management of the Port-au-Prince airport by the U.S. military 
in a statement on January 18.  For his part, Foreign Minister 
Bernard Kouchner tamped down speculation of a diplomatic 
rift, stating that "what is important is the fate of the 
Haitians" and reiterated on January 18 that France is happy 
to work "hand-in-hand" with the United States.  Former Prime 
Minister from the Socialist Party Lionel Jospin rebutted 
accusations by Hugo Chavez that the American military was 
 
PARIS 00000076  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
trying to occupy Haiti as "groundless." 
 
CORRECTING THE RECORD: JOYANDET NOW "REJOICES" OVER U.S. 
PRESENCE IN HAITI 
--------------------------------------------- ----------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The positive MFA and official statements of 
cooperation were designed to correct stories suggesting a 
diplomatic rift between France and the U.S., which began 
circulating on January 16 after Secretary of State for 
Cooperation Alain Joyandet sparked controversy when he told 
the press in Haiti that he had lodged an official complaint 
after American air traffic controllers, who had assumed 
control at Port-au-Prince airport, turned back two French 
Airbus planes carrying a field hospital and medical staff. 
The French MFA spokesperson Bernard Valero countered 
Joyandet's January 16 statement on the same day, clarifying 
that "there has been no protest by the French government on 
the subject of managing the airport in Port-au-Prince." 
Joyandet was again quoted on January 18, speaking to Europe 1 
radio from an emergency EU ministerial meeting on Haiti in 
Brussels, asking the UN to "clarify" the American role in 
Haiti and saying that "this is about helping Haiti, not about 
occupying Haiti."  FM Kouchner spoke personally to Ambassador 
Rivkin on January 19, repudiating the supposed 
dissatisfaction of the U.S. relief efforts by Joyandet and 
reiterating GOF appreciation of USG efforts.  Finally, in an 
interview with RFI on January 20, Joyandet backed away from 
his previous remarks concerning the U.S. and its role in 
leading disaster relief in Haiti by saying that "we can only 
rejoice" over the American presence.  Saying that he has 
"repeatedly welcomed our American friends," Joyandet credited 
the U.S. military for opening the Port-au-Prince airport 
"very quickly."  He dismissed reports of his formal complaint 
as just "some of the technical challenges" during a "moment 
of difficulty in the early hours of coordination," 
emphasizing that what matters most now is the coordination 
between the U.S. and France on the ground. 
 
DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT 
--------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Embassy Paris has been in close contact with the 
Elysee and MFA regarding the initial statements and those 
issued subsequently by senior officials.  Ambassador Rivkin 
has spoken with FM Kouchner and senior officials at the 
Elysee.  Other senior officials also maintained an active 
dialogue to clarify French views and urge that public 
statements accurately reflect American actions.  While the 
vast majority of French media have correspondents in 
Washington and in Haiti and are reporting based on their 
information and wire coverage, Embassy Paris is providing 
additional information to contacts in France in an effort to 
inform the coverage, which has generally been balanced and 
positive.  The Political Section maintains daily contact with 
the MFA Haiti desk to facilitate information sharing on joint 
humanitarian assistance and prospective reconstruction. 
Contacts at the MFA Crisis Center continue to report 
productive exchanges with the State Department Operations 
Center Task Force.  Over the past year, the U.S. embassy 
provided one exchange diplomat to the French crisis center 
and promoted exchanges with State Ops personnel, which appear 
to have been helpful in coordinating responses to this 
current crisis.  On the cultural side, PA organized a 
commemoration event on January 18 for the lives lost in the 
Haitian earthquake and is using new media, including the 
Embassy web site and Facebook page, to share the latest 
information regarding USG efforts to assist the Haitian 
people. 
 
FRENCH PRESS POSITIVE ON U.S. ROLE 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Characterizing Joyandet's January 16 remarks as 
"overblown" and "not characteristic of the situation," French 
press coverage has in fact been positive overall and has not 
focused on any alleged problems in coordination between the 
U.S. and France, but rather has been critical of Joyandet,s 
outburst.  An editorial in center-right Le Figaro on January 
19 described the decisive action by President Obama in 
response to the earthquake as a "positive sign" signaling the 
"irreplaceable role of the United States in the world." 
Independent news website Rue89.com bemoaned the embarrassing 
display of "national egos" on January 18 while financial 
daily La Tribune defended the U.S. actions as "nothing 
shocking" given its geographic proximity and close ties to 
Haiti on January 18.  However, left-of-center daily 
Liberation expressed concern for Haiti's sovereignty, 
insisting that France not "abandon" Haiti to "U.S. influence" 
on January 20.  The Public Affairs section at Embassy Paris 
directly addressed the Joyandet statements with French media 
 
PARIS 00000076  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
outlets, who focused on highlighting successful cooperation. 
RIVKIN