EGYPT'S POSITION ON THE G-4 PROPOSAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 005513 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2015 TAGS: PREL EG KUNR UN UNSC SUBJECT: EGYPT'S POSITION ON THE G-4 PROPOSAL REF: STATE 132429 Classified by: Charge Michael Corbin for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche on July 18 to the MFA's Counselor for UN affairs, Dr. Hany al Selim. Selim said that Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit had sent Chief of Staff Ambassador Sameh Shukry and Cabinet Member for UN affairs Amr Rushdy to New York for consultations on UNSC reform. Their instructions, according to Selim, are that the GOE will not vote in favor of any proposal on UNSC reform that does not conform to the proposal adopted by the African Union (AU) in Sirte, calling for 2 permanent seats for African nations with full rights and privileges and five non-permanent seats. Selim remarked, however, that he was not certain all AU members would adhere to the Sirte agreement. ¶2. (C) Selim observed that the sensitive issue on UNSC reform will be who, among the African nations, gets any permanent seats that may become available. There are currently eight competitors within Africa, including South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt. Selim said that the AU agreed at the summit in Sirte that the decision as to which African nations would get the seats will be made on the basis of consensus among African nations. The alternative way to resolve the issue (a vote) would be too divisive, he stressed. In spite of this agreement, however, Selim said that a few countries (he named only South Africa and Nigeria) had already started lobbying for permanent seats. However, he believes that the lobbying is being done by low level diplomats. If their lobbying becomes too visible, he speculated, the ambassadors of the involved missions can order them to stop. Until now, Selim said, the lobbying has not been "offensive." 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. CORBIN