Cablegate: Iran Vote: Demarche to Maldives

VZCZCXRO8169
OO RUEHDE
DE RUEHLM #1140 3520833
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 170833Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9063
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4615
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2468
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0189
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0161
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3063
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0057
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0865

UNCLAS COLOMBO 001140

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR DRL/MLGA (SICADE) AND IO/RHS (OSTERMEIER)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM UNGA MV CE
SUBJECT: IRAN VOTE: DEMARCHE TO MALDIVES

REF: A. SECSTATE 130796
B. SECSTATE 131204

1. (SBU) On December 16, 2008, Ambassador conveyed ref A
letter from Secretary Rice to Foreign Minister Shaheed
thanking him for Maldives' helpful shift in stance on the
Third Committee resolution in Iran (and the associated
no-action motion). Ambassador requested that Maldives vote
in acordance with the U.S. positions when these actions reach
the UNGA plenary (ref b), or at a minimum, abstain or be
absent for the votes. Ambassador plans to take up the matter
in person with Minister of State Ahmed Naseem in Male on
December 17.

2. (SBU) Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry interlocutors have made
it clear that there is no possibility of a change in Sri
Lanka's position on the Iran resolution. Embassy therefore
did not carry our ref b demarche to Sri Lanka.
Blake

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