Mission deploys points re Secretary's speech

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000208

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, SA/PD, NEA/NGA; NSC FOR E. MILLARD

LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02-06-13
TAGS: PREL PGOV CE MV IZ
SUBJECT: Mission deploys points re Secretary's speech
to the UNSC

Refs: (A) State 34169 (D) Colombo 170
- (B) Colombo 205 (E) Colombo 24
- (C) Colombo 185 (F) 02 Colombo 1879

(U) Classified by W. Lewis Amselem, Deputy Chief of
Mission. Reasons 1.5 (b, d).


1. (C) In lieu of Ambassador who was en route to
Colombo from the Maldives, DCM drew on Ref A points in a
February 6 conversation with Sri Lankan Foreign
Secretary Nihal Rodrigo. Rodrigo said the GSL does not

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have any plans for NOW to issue any public statement re
the Secretary's February 5 speech to the UN Security
Council. He noted that the Sri Lankan government had
issued a statement re Iraq last week and it had no plans
to change it. (Note: The statement, which is contained
in Ref D, was quite constructive.) Foreign Minister
Tyronne Fernando is NOW in London and might have some
comments if he is asked. Rodrigo promised to let
Mission know if a public statement was forthcoming.


2. (C) Polchief also drew on Ref A points in a
February 6 conversation with Maldivian MFA Permanent
Secretary Dr. Shaheed. Shaheed had no comments on the

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Secretary's speech, but said the GoRM was reviewing it

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closely.


3. (U) Per Ref A, Mission has passed both the Sri
Lankan and Maldivian MFA's the text of the Secretary's
speech.


4. (U) For additional Sri Lankan and Maldivian reaction
to the Secretary's speech, please see Ref B.


5. (U) Minimize considered.

WILLS