Cablegate: Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Declines to Observe

VZCZCXRO7062
PP RUEHSR
DE RUEHSR #0030 3281336
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241336Z NOV 09
FM AMCONSUL STRASBOURG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0196
INFO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0146
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0001
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0062
RUEHSR/AMCONSUL STRASBOURG 0207

UNCLAS STRASBOURG 000030

SIPDIS

STATE ALSO FOR EUR/ERA AND DRL/NESCA; BAGHDAD FOR K LEONARD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM PREL COE FR XG
SUBJECT: COUNCIL OF EUROPE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY DECLINES TO OBSERVE
IRAQI NATIONAL ELECTIONS

REF: STATE 114183

(SBU) Mateo Sorinas, Secretary General of the Council of
Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) informed us November 24
that the PACE has declined the invitation to observe the Iraqi
national elections. Sorinas explained that the PACE observes
elections only within Europe, with the one exception being the
Palestinian Territories, because of PACE's "special
relationship" with the Palestinian Authority. We note that
earlier one of Sorinas' assistants had advised us that PACE
insurance does not cover travel to and inside Iraq.

CARVER

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