Cablegate: Demarche Delivered On Third Committee Resolutions

VZCZCXYZ0012
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKB #1290 2990852
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260852Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAKU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4117
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0245

UNCLAS BAKU 001290

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR DRL/MLGA, IO/RHS, AND EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KTIA UN AJ
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON THIRD COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS

REF: STATE 145641

1. (U) On October 24, emboffs delivered reftel points on
U.S. priority resolutions in the UN General Assembly's Third
Committee to the Azerbaijani MFA's International Security
Affairs Department (responsible for UN issues) and the MFA's
Americas Desk. MFA International Security Affairs Department
Director Galib Israfilov said he had no substantive comment
on the resolutions but would study the U.S. positions. We
will report any further reaction septel.

2. (SBU) Comment: Azerbaijan regularly trades its UN Third
Committee votes in exchange for support on issues related to
the Nagorno Karabakh (NK) conflict. Given Azerbaijan's
strong desire to seek OIC support for its position on the NK
conflict and recent Chairmanship of the OIC Foreign
Ministerial Conference, we expect Azerbaijan to support OIC
positions on the Iran, Religious Intolerance, and Defamation
of Religion resolutions. Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister
Araz Azimov is the key decision-maker on these issues, and
will be in Washington for bilateral and GUAM meetings October
29-30. We are seeking a meeting with Azimov prior to his
departure in order to make these points with him, and also
encourage Washington colleagues to raise the Third Committee
resolutions in their meetings with Azimov next week.
DERSE

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