56TH UNGA: ZIMBABWE'S THINKING ON PRIORITIES IN EARLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002498 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: DECL. 08/23/11 TAGS: AORC PREL ZI SUBJECT: 56TH UNGA: ZIMBABWE'S THINKING ON PRIORITIES IN EARLY STAGES REF: STATE 143609 CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON. REASONS: CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 02498 231504Z 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (U) DCM, ACCOMPANIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF, DELIVERED -- AND PROVIDED A NON-PAPER CONTAINING -- REFTEL TALKING POINTS ON AUGUST 23 TO CLEOPHAS TSOKODAYI, THE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S UNDER SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. TSOKODAYI WAS SIPDIS ACCOMPANIED BY DESK OFFICER MARSHALL MUTUTU. ¶2. (C) DRAWING FROM REF TALKING POINTS, DCM DISCUSSED IN SIGNIFICANT DETAIL EACH OF THE FIVE CRITICAL USG OBJECTIVES -- AND FIVE OTHER PRIORITY ISSUES -- FOR THE UPCOMING UNGA SESSION. ASKED WHETHER ZIMBABWE HAD TAKEN A POSITION ON ANY OF THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES, TSOKODAYI DEMURRED, SAYING HE PREFERRED FIRST TO STUDY THE USG NON-PAPER AND WOULD BE PREPARED TO ENGAGE IN A SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT GOZ THINKING ONLY AT A LATER DATE. TSOKODAYI INQUIRED ABOUT THE STATUS OF U.S. PAYMENT OF ITS UN SIPDIS ARREARS. THE DCM REPLIED THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE ON WHICH THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION PLACES A VERY HIGH PRIORITY. THE UNITED STATES, HE SAID, HAD PAID THE FIRST TRANCHE AND WAS WORKING WITH CONGRESS ON THE SECOND TRANCHE, PER POINTS IN REFTEL. (COMMENT: JUDGING FROM TSOKODAYI'S REACTION, THE GOZ CLEARLY HAS NOT DEVELOPED FINAL SIPDIS POSITIONS IN PREPARATION FOR UNGA. WE WILL STAY IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH TSOKODAYI AND HIS STAFF, AND WILL REPORT GOZ THINKING ON UNGA AS IT EVOLVES. END COMMENT.) ¶3. (C) TSOKODAYI REPORTED THAT, ALTHOUGH NO FINAL DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE, FOREIGN MINISTER MUDENGE LIKELY WILL LEAD ZIMBABWE'S UNGA DELEGATION. ROTH CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 02498 231504Z CONFIDENTIAL >