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