Cablegate: Lesotho: Concerns for Mideast Stability, No Immediate

VZCZCXRO1439
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHRN
DE RUEHMR #0312 1511555
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 311555Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY MASERU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2998
INFO RUCNSAD/SADC COLLECTIVE
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 3368

UNCLAS MASERU 000312

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT ALSO FOR AF/S

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KNNP EFIN UNSC AORC ETRD IR LT
SUBJECT: LESOTHO: CONCERNS FOR MIDEAST STABILITY, NO IMMEDIATE
COMMENT ON UNSCR 1747

REF: STATE 73219

1. (SBU) On May 31, Poloff relayed reftel points on the United
States' 60-Day Report to UN Security Council on UNSCR 1747 to
Acting Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs P. P. Makosholo.
While not commenting directly on the implementation of UNSCR
1747, he stated that the GOL continued to be concerned about
negative developments in the Middle East. He stated that
information on the implementation of UNSCR 1747 from the United
States and other friendly countries was much appreciated, and
that it would be passed on to the Minister of Foreign Affairs as
well as Lesotho's Permanent Representative to the United Nations
(currently in Maseru for a global MFA chief of missions
conference). When queried directly about the implementation of
UNSCR 1747, Makosholo stated that Lesotho was "not involved in
the apportionment of blame" regarding Iran's proliferating
activities, but his country did have great respect for UN
decisions and wanted to see them enforced.

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Regional Consensus Likely Key

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2. (SBU) COMMENT: It is unlikely that Lesotho will be in the
forefront of global political pressure for nations to fully
implement UNSCR 1747. Makosholo painted Lesotho merely as an
interested bystander on this issue. Lesotho's final decision on
its UN vote will likely be highly dependent on the regional
consensus developed among nations of the Southern African
Development Community. END COMMENT.

MURPHY

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