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."


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CORBIN