Cablegate: Albania Will Support Strong Language Against Iran at Iaea

VZCZCXRO3313
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHGI RUEHJS RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW
RUEHROV
DE RUEHTI #1002 3260925
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 220925Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6420
INFO RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0090

UNCLAS TIRANA 001002

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/RA RICHARD NEPHEW, IO/T HEATHER VON BEHREN,
EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: KNNP MNUC IAEA IR AL
SUBJECT: ALBANIA WILL SUPPORT STRONG LANGUAGE AGAINST IRAN AT IAEA

REF: SECSTATE 157039

1. (SBU) On 21 November, Pol-Econ Chief met with Islam Lauka, the
Director General for Multilateral Affairs at the MFA to deliver
reftel demarche. Lauka said Albania's IAEA Board Member Ferit Hoxha
had spoken to USIAEA Ambassador Schulte and Albania planned to
support the U.S. and EU position. Albania was waiting for a formal
EU statement and planned to associate with that message. In the
absence of an EU message, Albania was prepared to make a strong
national statement along the lines of the U.S. demarche.

2. (SBU) Lauka confided that Albania hoped for Iran's support for
eventual Kosovo independence within the Organization of Islamic
Conference (OIC), and was concerned that if Albania voted against
Iran at the IAEA that Iran would vote against Kosovo in the OIC.
Nonetheless, Lauka said Albania agreed that the issue before the
IAEA was more important and would support the US/EU position against
Iran.

3. (SBU) COMMENT: Albania continues to prove a valuable partner in
issues of international consequence, and their position on the IAEA
Board of Governors should continue to benefit the U.S. Kosovo
remains at the forefront of Albania's foreign policy decisions, and
Lauka's linking of Kosovo to the IAEA issue serves as a reminder of
this.
CRISTINA

© Scoop Media