EGYPT TO CONSIDER NOMINATION OF JUDGE BUERGENTHAL

UNCLAS CAIRO 003780 SIPDIS STATE FOR IO AND NEA/ELA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV EG UNSC UNGA SUBJECT: EGYPT TO CONSIDER NOMINATION OF JUDGE BUERGENTHAL FOR ICJ RE-ELECTION; INQUIRY ON REQUEST TO USG FOR SUPPORT FOR EGYPTIAN CANDIDACY TO UNESCO SEAT REF: STATE 80697 ¶1. Poloff delivered reftel demarche May 12 on the candidacy of Judge Thomas Buergenthal to MFA Second Secretary in the Office of Specialized Agencies Ms. Sohad Sabry. Sabry welcomed the diplomatic note and accompanying documentation relating to Mr. Buergenthal's candidacy for re-election as judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ),and promised to share the information with Assistant Minister Fathalla upon the latter's return from the NPT conference in New York. Sabry would not speculate on the likelihood of GOE support for Buergenthal. She did, however, note that the Egyptian judge currently serving on the ICJ, Ambassador Nabil Araby, would not be seeking re-election to the court. The Arab seat, she said, would likely be contested by candidates from Algeria and Morocco. ¶2. During the May 12 meeting, Sabry - while implying no linkage or trading of support - asked if the U.S. would support Egypt's candidacy to UNESCO, which she said Egypt had requested recently from Washington in writing. Post has since received a copy in Arabic of the Egyptian diplomatic note pertaining to the UNESCO candidacy and will forward to the Department in a separate message. Visit Embassy Cairo's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. GRAY