Cablegate: Rwanda On No-Action Motions On Iran, Burma, Dprk

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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121557Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5742
INFO RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0336
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 0435
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 1248
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UNCLAS KIGALI 000798

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SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM RW
SUBJECT: RWANDA ON NO-ACTION MOTIONS ON IRAN, BURMA, DPRK

REF: 93981

1.(SBU) Pol/Econ Chief spoke on November 12 with Rwandan
Foreign Ministry International Organizations Director Ben
Rutsinga on the three UN Third Committee no-action motions
pending on Iran, Burma and North Korea. As he has in the
past, Rutysinga indicated that Rwanda often abstains on such
motions, or does not participate, given Rwanda's "skeletal"
staff in New York, and their inability to keep abreast of the
full range of issues and votes at play at the UN. He did
agree that there was no Africa Group position on any of the
three no-action motions, and that Rwanda's general preference
was for human rights resolutions to be debated and voted
upon, rather than be short-circuited by no-action motions.
He did not indicate exactly how Rwanda would vote on any of
the three motions, but said that efforts to engage Rwanda's
UN Representative would be useful.
SYMINGTON

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