DEMARCHE DELIVERED- IRANIAN PRESIDENT'S EXTREMISM

UNCLAS ABUJA 002151 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PHUM IR NI SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED- IRANIAN PRESIDENT'S EXTREMISM REF: A. STATE 199225 ¶B. STATE 199863 ¶1. (U) On November 7, Poloff delivered reftel demarches to Ambassador Abdul bin Rimdap, Director for International Organizations at the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Rimdap was aware of the Iranian President's inflammatory remarks but said that the GON had not yet publicly reacted to them, in part because the GON is anticipating some additional statement or clarification of those remarks by the Iranian Foreign Minister. ¶2. (SBU) Ambassador Rimdap noted that Nigeria has relations with Israel and that they also have a very good bilateral relationship with Iran. He explained that Nigeria and Iran work together as part of the "D-8" group of developing countries. He also said that Nigeria recently abstained from a vote at the IAEA to refer the matter of Iran's nuclear activities to the UNSC. He explained that the GON did not want to upset relations with Iran by voting to refer Iran to the Security Council. He implied that Nigeria would be equally hesitant to upset Iran on this occasion by condemning the Iranian President's statement of October 26. FUREY