Cablegate: Demarche Request On Nato Members and Aspiring

VZCZCXRO5545
OO RUEHPOD
DE RUEHC #0088 2062217
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 242212Z JUL 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL NATO POST COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV IMMEDIATE 7296
RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA IMMEDIATE 1254
RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE IMMEDIATE 5571
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI IMMEDIATE 8156
RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA IMMEDIATE 1791
RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB IMMEDIATE 1233
INFO RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE IMMEDIATE 0388
RUEHPS/AMEMBASSY PRISTINA IMMEDIATE 4424
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 6988
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS STATE 080088

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: NATO PREL PHUM PTER IR
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST ON NATO MEMBERS AND ASPIRING
MEMBERS' PARTICIPATION IN NAM MINSTERIAL

REF: STATE 74879

1. (SBU) The department requests that action addressees
pursue the following objectives with regard to host
government's potential attendance at the upcoming Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM) Foreign Ministers meeting in Tehran, July
27-30, 2008. Posts should:

-- Determine from host governments whether they have any
plans to attend, whether if as observers or as guests, and
strongly discourage host governments from attending.

-- If host governments have taken a firm decision to attend,
urge them to avoid any appearance of supporting Iran's
failure to comply with its NPT, IAEA, and UNSC obligations
with respect to its nuclear program and more generally NAM
positions at odds with interests of the NATO alliance.

-- Urge host governments that will participate in the meeting
and that have officially recognized Kosovo to lobby other
states to recognize Kosovo as soon as possible.

2. (U) Posts may use their discretion in delivering this
demarche if they understand that host government has no plans
to attend the NAM ministerial.

Point of Contact
--------------------

3. (U) Department point of contact for this issue is John
Mariz, IO/UNP, 202 647-0048.

Background and Talking Points
----------------

4. (SBU) The NAM Foreign Minister's meeting is scheduled to
take place 27-30 July 2008 in Tehran, Iran. NAM positions
are often opposed to U.S. policies and interests and more
broadly to NATO members' policies and interests. The draft
final document prepared in advance of this meeting contains
objectionable language on the Middle East, terrorism,
religious freedom, and human rights, among other topics.
NATO members or states that seek NATO membership should
understand that they are indeed "aligned," and that their
attendance, particularly at senior levels, is inappropriate
and sends the wrong message to the international community
and to their own publics. We are particularly concerned
regarding attendance of this meeting in light of Iran's aim
to enlist continued NAM support for its attempts to defeat
international efforts to halt its attempts to develop a
nuclear warhead.

5. (U) Posts may draw on the following points in making this
demarche to host governments. Posts may also draw guidance
from reftel, which goes into detail regarding Iran's attempts
to enlist NAM support for its nuclear program.

-- As an ally, we urge you not to participate in this
meeting, as NAM positions often run counter to the interests
of NATO.

-- Attending this meeting in Tehran signals the wrong message
to the Government of Iran at a time when we are seeking to
maintain international unity and increase pressure on Iran to
comply with its Non-Proliferation Treaty, International
Atomic Energy Agency, and UN Security Council obligations.

-- If you do participate, we urge you to avoid any actions
that would imply support for the Government of Iran.

-- (For states that have recognized Kosovo) We also urge you
to use the opportunity to advocate for other states to
recognize Kosovo.
RICE

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