[France] Message to the Swedish Department of Defence

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MINISTÈRE DES AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES
AMBASSADE DE FRANCE AU SUÈDE​

CONFIDENTIAL

Mattias Johansson
Secretary of Defence
Kingdom of Sweden

Stockholm, July 2007​

Your Excellency, Minister Johansson,

I have taken note of your Department's communication, published earlier today on Twitter, indicating that credible intelligence has been obtained suggesting that the Government of Spain intends to use armed force to invade the sovereign territory of the Portuguese Republic.

This information has caused deep concern within the Government of the French Republic. France remains firmly committed to a Europe that is secure, peaceful, and prosperous; one in which the use of military force to seize territory or alter governments is actively opposed.

Accordingly, my Government urges the Kingdom of Sweden to make available the intelligence in question so that it may be independently verified, and, if confirmed, that the Spanish Government may be held to account through appropriate diplomatic channels.

Should the intelligence in question not be suitable for public release, I would appreciate if it could be shared confidentially with this Embassy, so that I may advise my Government as to its veracity and enable the Council of Ministers to take appropriate decisions regarding France’s response to this matter.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Célia Renard
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Sweden
Sixth French Republic​

Digital Diplomatic Correspondence​

Connor

 

[Connor]

Kingdom of Sweden Holmgren Administration

June 2007​

Dear Ambassador Célia Renard,

Thank you for your correspondence in relation to a publication on social media from an official Department of Defence account earlier today. I would like to express how I personally appreciate the concern of the French Republic regarding this matter however I must stress that the intelligence reference in our previous statement remains highly classified and is currently under joint review at the highest possible level domestically. While I cannot at this stage disclose the full substance of our findings, I can confirm that our assessment was made in good faith based on credible human sources.

We are actively engaging with our allies through secure channels to ensure transparency and the preservation of peace within the European continent.

In an early form of disclosure, please feed back to your appropriate authorities that Sweden will be planning a militarised deterrent. The form is not yet solidified however we are not expecting any adverse effects of French civilian and military traffic in the region. I will be in touch should this stance change.

Regards,
Mattias Johansson
Secretary of Defence
Department of Defence

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