Mission conveys points on USG initiatives for

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001301 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, IO/UNP (NARANJO) E.O. 12958: DECL: 08-06-14 TAGS: PREL ECON PHUM KDEM AORC CE UNGA UN SUBJECT: Mission conveys points on USG initiatives for the 59th UN General Assembly to Sri Lanka and Maldives Ref: State 152009 (U) Classified by Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Dean Thompson. Reasons 1.5 (b,d). ¶1. (C) On August 3, poloff spoke with Sumedha Ekanayake and presented the USG initiatives for the 59th UN General Assembly, per Reftel. Ekanayake said he would review the points with his colleagues but that he did not foresee any GSL conflicts with U.S. initiatives to advance economic freedom, combat TIP, and promote democracy. ¶2. (C) In reference to the issue of Human Cloning, however, he reported that the GSL had not yet formulated a national position, and thought that a motion by Iran on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC) in the 58th General Assembly had adjourned the debate until the 60th GA in September 2005. ¶3. (C) Remarking on the U.S. initiative to reduce Middle East resolutions, Ekanayake noted that Sri Lanka was the Chair of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices, but that the SL permrep chaired the committee as facilitator, and not with a GSL agenda. The sheer numbers in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the OIC would pose problems for such an initiative, he thought. ¶4. (C) Mission has also conveyed the points in Reftel to the Maldivian government, but there has been no response as of yet. LUNSTEAD