Cablegate: Portugal Against Lebanon-Specific Un Resolutions

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DE RUEHLI #2419 2991509
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261509Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY LISBON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5302
INFO RUCNMUC/EU CANDIDATE STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 0058
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0232

UNCLAS LISBON 002419

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PTER PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGAL AGAINST LEBANON-SPECIFIC UN RESOLUTIONS
FOR NOW

REF: SECSTATE 176793

Pol/Econ Officer conveyed U.S. reservations about the two
Nonaligned Movement (NAM) sponsored resolutions regarding
Lebanon to MFA International Organizations Officer Joao
Moura. He said Portugal agrees that the unbalanced language
probably would hinder international efforts to calm tensions
between Israel and Lebanon. He reported that the EU Troika
held a meeting with the Lebanese on October 24 to urge the
latter to withdraw proposed Lebanon-specific UN resolutions.
At the meeting the EU representatives stressed that the UN
should focus country specific resolutions only on North Korea
and Myanmar right now, according to Moura. However, Moura
acknowledged that Lebanon is unlikely to stand down in
response to the EU's urging. He added that the UN's Human
Rights Council was in the process of addressing the concerns
raised by the draft resolutions and should be allowed to
finish its work.
Hoffman

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