Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 3890 / 251,287

### Articles

Brazil Sri Lanka United Kingdom Sweden Editorial United States Latin America Egypt Yemen Jordan

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 86 88 89 90 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1986/05
1988/01
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08
2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/07 2001/10
2002/02 2002/03 2002/11
2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Amsterdam American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone
Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Hamburg
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lagos
Mission USNATO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Maputo Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey
Embassy New Delhi Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Consulate Vladivostok
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AF AR ASEC AORC AG AEMR AJ AMGT ACOA AEC AO AE AU AFIN AX AMED ADCO AODE APER AFFAIRS AC AS AM AL ASIG ABLD ABUD AA AFU ASUP AROC ATFN AGMT ATRN
BL BR BM BE BO BH BTIO BEXP BU BIDEN BK BY BA BG BF BB BC BBSR BRUSSELS BILAT BX
CAN CVIS CH CASC CJAN CLINTON CO COUNTER CI CU CIS CA CBW CF CM CMGT CN CE CONDOLEEZZA COE CR CY CG CS CD CTM COUNTRY CLEARANCE CPAS CWC CT CKGR CB CACS COM CDG CJUS CARSON COUNTERTERRORISM CIA CACM CDB CV
DR DA DHS DOE DEA DK DJ DISENGAGEMENT DS DOD DEAX
ECON EFIN ETTC EUN ENVR EAIR ENRG ES EIND EINV EAGR ETRD ELAB EAID EPET EU ECPS EG ECA EWWT ER EINT EMIN ELTN EFIS EI EN EC EXTERNAL ECIN EINVETC ENIV EZ EINN ENGR EUR ET ESA ELECTIONS ECUN EINVEFIN ECIP EINDETRD EUC EREL
FR FAO FTAA FREEDOM FI FARC FBI FJ FMLN FINR
GG GH GM GV GT GE GR GTIP GOI GCC GAZA GZ GA GTMO
HILLARY HUMAN HO HA HYMPSK HR HU HURI HK
IR IZ ID IN IT IC IIP IS IAEA ITPHUM IV IPR IWC IQ IO ICTY ISRAELI IRAQI ICRC ICAO IMO IF ILC IEFIN INRB INTELSAT IL IA IBRD IMF ITALY ITALIAN INTERPOL IRAJ INRA INRO
JA JOSEPH JO JP JOHNNIE JUS JAMES
KCOR KCRM KDEM KPAO KISL KVPR KPAL KACT KTFN KNNP KJUS KS KN KHLS KGHG KSCA KV KZ KDEV KIPR KIRF KWMN KDRG KGIC KRAD KE KSPR KG KTIA KHIV KWBG KPRP KU KAWC KOLY KCIP KCFE KOCI KMDR KPKO KTDB KMRS KFRD KTIP KLIG KBCT KICC KMCA KGIT KSTC KUNR KPAK KNEI KSEP KPOA KFLU KNUP KNNPMNUC KOMC KAWK KO KTER KSUM KHUM KRFD KBIO KBTR KDDG KWWMN KFLO KSAF KBTS KPRV KMPI KHDP KNPP KNAR KWMM KERG KFIN KTBT KCRS KRVC KR KPWR KWAC KMIG KSEC KIFR KDEMAF KGCC KPIN KNUC KPLS KIRC KCOM
LG LY LE LH LI LU LO LOG LT
MARR MOPS MASS MCAP MO MNUC ML MTCRE MK MTRE MX MU MP MA MY MIL MDC MTCR MAR MEPI MRCRE MI MT MR MQADHAFI MD MAPS MUCN MPOS MZ MEPP MOPPS MAPP MG MASC MCC
NI NL NATO NPT NE NS NAR NO NIPP NZ NU NPG NK NSG NA NT NASA NG NGO NATIONAL
OIIP OVIP ODIP OTRA OSCE OPRC OAS OFDP OREP OPIC OPDC OEXC OECD OPCW OSCI OTR OVP OFFICIALS OSAC
PGOV PREL PTER PK PINR PHUM PARM PINS PL PBTS PARMS PREF PHSA PROP PE PO PA PM PMIL PTERE POL PF PALESTINIAN PY PGGV PNR POV PAK PAO PFOR PHALANAGE PARTY PNAT PROV PEL POLITICS PEPR PSI PINT PSOE PU POLITICAL PARTIES PBIO PECON POGOV PINL PKFK PGOF
QA
RU RS RP RIGHTS RW RICE RO ROBERT RF RFE REGION
SNAR SP SL SOCI SENV SCUL SF SN SW SA SY SMIG SHUM SR SO SZ SU SYR ST SANC SC SAN SIPRS SK SH SI STEINBERG SG
TI TU TH TT TW TIP TERRORISM TSPA TO TBIO TX TFIN TD TRGY TSPL TZ TPHY TS TK TNGD TC TR
UK UN UNSC UP UNGA UZ UY UE UNESCO UAE UNO UNEP UG US USTR UNHCR UNMIK UNDP UNHRC USAID UNCHS UNAUS USUN USEU UV
VT VE VM VZ VTPREL VN
WI WMO WTRO WTRQ WHO WWARD WB WBG WTO WA
XC XY XH XM XA XL XF XZ XW XR XG XT XD XS XK
YM YI YE
ZI ZP ZK ZF ZB ZANU ZOELLICK ZR ZU ZA

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 09PARIS1526, FRANCE AND BRAZIL: THE START OF A LOVE AFFAIR

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09PARIS1526.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09PARIS1526 | 2009-11-17 15:03 | 2010-12-05 12:12 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Paris

`

    VZCZCXYZ0001
    PP RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHFR #1526/01 3211521
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    P 171521Z NOV 09
    FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7538
    INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 2339

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001526

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2019
    TAGS: PGOV PREL MASS BR FR
    SUBJECT: FRANCE AND BRAZIL: THE START OF A LOVE AFFAIR

    Classified By: Classified By: Kathleen Allegrone, Minister Counselor, r
    eason 1.4, b and d.

    ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Considered "a love fest" by the MFA, the
    growing Franco-Brazilian relationship under Presidents
    Sarkozy and Lula is likely to result in more political,
    diplomatic, economic, and military engagement in the next
    three years and throughout Sarkozy's time in office.
    Committed to expanding France's role as a global player,
    Sarkozy is preparing for the French G-8 and G-20 presidency
    in 2011 with a foreign policy of reaching out to emerging
    powers in an effort to promote France's international clout.
    His direct involvement in the not yet concluded Rafale
    fighter jet sale to Brazil highlights his use of his personal
    ties with Lula to persistently court the regional giant and
    will serve as a model of French entree into Latin America and
    beyond. In Paris on November 14, Lula and Sarkozy met to
    address climate change issues which included an announcement
    that Sarkozy will travel to Latin America next week which we
    view as a continuation of the French President,s charm
    offensive. Septels will address economic and environmental
    aspects of this bilateral relationship. Post welcomes
    Embassy Brasilia's comments on this assessment. END SUMMARY.

    MOBILIZING THE EMERGING POWERS
    ------------------------------
    ¶2. (C) Highly encouraged by the growing importance of the
    G-20 precipitated by the economic crisis, President Nicholas
    Sarkozy is recalibrating his policies by increasingly
    courting populous, non-aligned states in the hopes of
    extending French international influence. Ahead of assuming
    both the G-8 and G-20 presidency in 2011, Sarkozy has been
    wooing what he calls "countries which are bridgeheads," or
    states with which France has traditionally not had a close
    relationship, and forming a body of allies that will help the
    GOF refashion its image as a key leader in a multi-polar
    world. (See septel on economic and G-20 issues.)

    ¶3. (C) In his August 26 annual address to French diplomats,
    Sarkozy declared that the G-8 should be expanded to include
    Brazil, China, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Egypt to form
    the G-14, or what he has dubbed with Lula as the &Alliance
    for Change,8 promising to implement the change during the
    French G-8 presidency. Even before becoming President, he
    has demonstrated a policy of actively pursuing the potential
    six new members of the G-14 formation, starting with Brazil.
    Employing multi-billion dollar military and civilian trade
    deals as his calling card, Sarkozy has successfully managed
    to forge extremely close ties with Brazil in the past two
    years, picking up from where his predecessor Chirac left off
    in a previous attempt to woo the world,s fifth most populous
    nation of 200 million.

    LIKE "LOOKING IN THE MIRROR"
    ----------------------------
    ¶4. (C) Having first met in 2007, Brazilian embassy contacts
    in Paris described the initial bilateral meeting as the
    "start of the love affair" where Sarkozy and Luiz Inacio Lula
    da Silva discovered that they shared "a vision of a new
    multilateralism" in global governance and the view of Brazil
    as a vast market and regional platform for France. Sarkozy
    has often remarked that the two agree on a "near totality of
    issues," including economic recovery, climate change, and
    security. Brazilian diplomats noted that the two men have
    very similar personalities and that Lula has often commented
    that looking at Sarkozy is like "looking in the mirror." The
    two leaders have put an emphasis on their warm personal
    chemistry and France's status as the only EU country sharing
    a border with Brazil, with French Guiana located just north
    of South America's largest country. The "unique" bilateral
    partnership and close friendship between the energetic
    Sarkozy and the charismatic and popular Lula is of particular
    note given that the Brazilian president does not speak
    English or French and the relationship is conducted almost
    exclusively through interpreters. Nonetheless, Brazilian
    diplomats based in Paris commented that the two men speak "a
    distinct common language" motivated by their drive to reshape
    the world order.

    ¶5. (C) Explaining that Chirac was responsible for starting
    the strategic relationship with Brazil based on the two
    countries' long history of common values, MFA Assistant
    Secretary for the Americas Elisabeth Beton-Delegue echoed the
    Brazilians on October 7, calling the friendship between
    Sarkozy and Lula a real "love story" and noted that Brazil
    represents one of France's diplomatic and commercial
    priorities in the Americas under the current French
    President. Sarkozy met with Lula four times in 2008 and has
    already held four bilateral meetings with his Brazilian
    counterpart in 2009. First Lady Carla Bruni did not
    participate in the French President's most recent trip to
    Brasilia to the disappointment of the Brazilian public, who
    reportedly greatly appreciate the fact that France's first
    couple often vacation in their country, according to the
    Brazilian embassy in Paris. Comment: We judge that Sarkozy
    takes full advantage of Carla Bruni,s individual popularity
    and their popularity as a couple to advance French national
    interests in Brazil.

    FRANCO-BRAZILIAN BILATERAL RELATIONS
    ------------------------------------
    ¶6. (C) The close relationship between Sarkozy and Lula grew
    from solid foundations. As France's leading trade partner in
    Latin America, Brazil hosts over 420 French companies which
    employ approximately 400,000 people. French exports totaled
    over $5 billion and Brazilian exports to France over $6
    billion in 2008. The Brazilians have a well established
    military relationship with the French that dates back to the
    mid-1980s, most recently including a $12 billion arms and
    technology transfer deal passed by the Brazilian Senate on
    September 3, in which France will help Brasilia establish
    their nascent nuclear submarine program, according to
    Brazilian Embassy sources in Paris.

    ¶7. (C) In addition, Brazil is France's leading regional
    partner for cultural, scientific, and technical cooperation.
    Three French secondary schools in Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro,
    and Brasilia have a total of 2,200 students, half of which
    are French nationals. Considered the most culturally
    influential foreign country by our Brazilian diplomatic
    contacts, the Alliance Francaise in Brazil constitutes the
    oldest and most extensive in the world, with 74
    establishments in 52 towns. Brazil is currently celebrating
    the "Year of France," with a series of cultural and
    cooperative events in commerce and technology to reciprocate
    the "Year of Brazil" in France in 2005. Their embassy in
    Paris noted that Brazil is currently engaging in tri-lateral
    cooperation with the French on agricultural projects in a
    host of African countries (Cameroon, Mozambique, Uganda) and
    are interested in developing their foreign policy initiatives
    in the region, as they have a large Afro-Brazilian
    population. Further illustrating the strength of the
    existing Franco-Brazilian ties, Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe
    was made an "honorary citizen" of the city of Rio de Janeiro
    on October 27 by his counterpart mayor, Eduardor Paes, after
    the two men signed an agreement focused on the revitalization
    and renovation of Rio's port areas. Both countries also
    shared recent grief over the loss of 228 people onboard Air
    France Flight 447 in June, when the Airbus A330 disappeared
    over the Atlantic Ocean during a Rio de Janeiro-Paris flight.
    Over 500 relatives of the victims and 40 members of Air
    France held a memorial service on November 7 in Rio, with
    junior French minister Alain Joyandet, in charge of overseas
    cooperation, representing the GOF.

    THE "F-X2" PROJECT
    ------------------
    ¶8. (C) Paris used the positive political climate to try to
    position the Rafale as the winner in the competition to equip
    the Brazilian Air Force with new fighter aircraft, in the
    hopes of edging out the American F/A-18 Super Hornet and the
    Swedish Grippen. Politically motivated, the Brazilian Foreign
    Ministry decision to publicly announce their intention to go
    with French company Dassault, which makes the Rafale, over
    the Brazilian Air Force's preferred Super Hornet stemmed from
    Lula's close relationship with Sarkozy. Although the deal
    known as "F-X2" or the fleet expansion is still unsettled,
    the French President did much to persuade his Brazilian
    counterpart to lean toward the French-made fighter jets in
    his two-day trip to Brasilia, where he dined with Lula and
    was the special guest at Brazil's September 7 Independence
    Day celebrations, which featured French Foreign Legion troops
    and an over-flight of French planes. In so doing, he
    attempted to demonstrate that his political ties with Lula
    are ultimately reinforced by industrial deals. Sarkozy
    presented the myth that France is the perfect partner for
    states that do not want to rely on U.S. technology, even
    though the U.S. has agreed in principle to transfer relevant
    technology if Brazil purchases the F-18. However, if the
    Rafale sale goes through, Dassault may have to request
    export-control licenses from the U.S. for parts built with
    American technology. Although the F-X2 decision has yet to
    be confirmed by Brazil, the GOF appears confident that it has
    beaten out the American and Swedish competition thanks to
    Sarkozy's diplomatic efforts. Moreover, Brazilian poloff
    Bruno de Lacerda Carrilho in Paris revealed on October 8 that
    Brasilia has been particularly receptive to such personal
    engagement at the Presidential level by France, posing the
    question of whether Obama would become personally involved.
    Marking his fifth visit to Brazil this year, Sarkozy is
    scheduled to travel to Manaus on November 26 for the Summit
    of Amazon countries and is expected to advance his broad
    political and commercial objectives with Brazil.

    ¶9. (C) Leveraging his personal rapport with Lula to advance
    the bilateral relationship, Sarkozy depicted the union as "a
    balanced partnership with two legs, one civilian and the
    other military. The military has progressed faster but the
    civilian will eventually win out." The two leaders have
    already signed off on the $12 billion purchase of five
    submarines, four conventional and Latin America's first
    nuclear-propelled submarine, to be built in a new shipyard at
    Itaguai, as well as 50 military transport helicopters that
    will be assembled in Minas Gerais. (Comment: The
    conventional submarines incorporate U.S.-origin GE Marine
    engines.) At the same time, Brazil announced its intention
    to begin negotiations to purchase the 36 Rafale fighter jets
    which could increase the financial transaction to $20
    billion if the deal officially goes through. The French have
    from the start guaranteed to give the Brazilians Rafale
    software source codes that represent the very digital heart
    of the aircraft, a step we understand the others bidders were
    reluctant at first to take. After Lula complained to Sarkozy
    about the "absurd price" of the Rafales at $80 million each,
    MFA sources state that the French president sent him a
    personal letter stressing French willingness to participate
    in the "unrestricted transfer" of technological intelligence"
    that the Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim had made
    known was a prerequisite for major arms deals in April.
    Labeled the "French comparative advantage," the technology
    transfer appealed to Brazil's desire to not only purchase the
    Rafale but to manufacture the aircraft in-country and
    possibly sell them throughout Latin America by 2030, stated
    the Brazilian pol-mil attache Marcus Rector Toledo Silva in
    Paris to poloff on September 11.

    ¶10. (C) According to Brazilian pol-mil attache Silva, the
    fighter jet saga was spurred by the release of the Brazilian
    National Defense Strategy in December 2008. He noted that
    the Brazilian Air Force has 110 jets dating from the 1970s
    and 1980s that are too old and outdated for a country whose
    needs include patrolling 5 million square miles of territory,
    10.5 million miles of national border, and vast offshore oil
    platforms. Brazil's most modern aircraft are 12 French
    Mirage 2000s, purchased second-hand and approaching their
    retirement dates. By contrast, neighbors Chile and Venezuela
    have 29 F-16s and 24 Sukhoi 30s respectively, both
    representing the most advanced models available. With Hugo
    Chavez recently buying over $3 billion in aircraft, tanks,
    and assault weapons from Russia, Brazil also seeks to enhance
    its regional military capabilities. Thus the deal brokered
    by Sarkozy was key for Dassault, bilateral defense ties, and
    boosting civilian sector trade over the long term. In the
    middle of all the media uproar however, two Rafale jets fell
    into the Mediterranean, provoking much discussion in the
    French and Brazilian press about the fact that the jets had
    never been sold outside of France. The crash also raised
    questions about why the Rafale's trade deal during the
    Moroccan fighter competition in 2008 fell through.

    FRENCH CONTRIBUTION TO CREATING A MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
    --------------------------------------------- ----------------
    ¶11. (C) As Lula has repeatedly stated, Brazil has ambitions
    of becoming a world power in the coming decades and believes
    the key is through the acquisition of certain technological
    and military autonomy. MFA contacts claim that unlike the
    U.S. relationship, France is ready to address Brazil's trade
    and technological development needs. Consequently, the
    recently signed bilateral agreements symbolize more than the
    purchase of armaments, commented Brazilian poloff de Lacerdo
    Carrilho. Rather, he stated that they denote the creation of
    the largest military industrial complex in the southern
    hemisphere for the emerging industrial superpower, home to
    the seventh largest oil reserves in the world and the largest
    area of natural biodiversity in the Amazon. In the last two
    years, Brazil has announced the discovery of huge offshore
    oil reserves called Pre-salt in ultra-deep waters in the
    Atlantic that could finance its rise to first world status,
    according to Lula. The country also has vast natural
    resources in timber, gold, and uranium in the Amazon,
    allegedly being exploited illegally by groups said to include
    the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Brazil
    seeks to protect its riches and assert itself as a new
    military power and France is "ready to fully support Brazil
    as an emerging power," said MFA Assistant Secretary for the
    Americas Beton-Delegue to poloffs on October 7.

    ¶12. (C) Under Sarkozy, France has become a consistent
    champion of all Brazilian aspirations, backing efforts for
    Brazil's ascent to a permanent seat on the UNSC, a
    long-standing Brazilian ambition. France also voted for and
    strongly supported Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 Olympics
    in early September and was one of the first countries to
    congratulate Brazil on its victory. MFA Brazil desk officer
    told poloff that as usual, Sarkozy had the foresight to
    develop good relations with Brazil, which is set to showcase
    two of the world's greatest sporting events with the 2014
    World Cup final scheduled to be played in Rio. Embassy
    Brazil contacts in Paris believe that the Franco-Brazilian
    relationship is only getting started and envision an
    expansion of the civilian cooperation to possibly include
    industrial contracts for aerospace and transportation in the
    upcoming months, once the Rafale deal is concluded. Hinting
    at rumors that Brazil could buy as many as 100 French-made
    fighter jets, Brazilian poloff de Lacerdo Carrilho suggested
    that there is much more to come of the bilateral
    relationship, whether the F-X2 deal goes through or not.

    ¶13. (C) COMMENT: The deepening partnership with Brasilia
    provides France with greater entre into Latin America. A
    strategically symbiotic relationship, French interest in
    Brazil seems to benefit both countries. Lula's decision to
    back the purchase of French fighter jets indicates the
    deepening Franco-Brazilian relationship and demonstrates the
    increasing political, diplomatic, and specifically commercial
    success of Sarkozy's courtship. Sarkozy is expected to shift
    into diplomatic overdrive in 2011 to boost his 2012
    re-election campaign and can point to his foreign policy
    triumph with Brazil as an indication of his prowess. As the
    Brazilians continue to hold bidders in suspense over their
    fleet renovation project due to be finalized by the end of
    the year, look for Sarkozy to reappear in the southern
    hemisphere with his familiar calling card of military and
    civilian contracts. Post welcomes Embassy Brasilia's
    perspectives on this Paris-based assessment of the growing
    Franco-Brazilian relationship.

    RIVKIN

`