EGYPT ADHERING TO AU POSITION ON UNSC REFORM

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 005590 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV KUNR UNSC UNGA SUBJECT: EGYPT ADHERING TO AU POSITION ON UNSC REFORM REF: A. STATE 134316 ¶B. CAIRO 5513 ¶C. STATE 132429 Classified by Charge d'Affaires Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Acting DCM spoke July 21 with Amb. Ahmed Fathallah, Egypt's Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs, and delivered points in ref A, underscoring the urgency. Fathallah said that the Egyptian position remained as described in ref B and that Egypt would not support the G-4 effort. He said that the GOE had formally communicated to G-4 states its position that it would abstain on their framework resolution. He noted that the African group remained committed to the AU proposal and that G-4 efforts to bridge the gap had failed. ¶2. (C) Acting DCM asked Fathallah whether the GOE was considering a vote against the resoultion rather than abstaining. Fathallah replied that the GOE considered an absention as the same as voting against as a two-thirds majority voting yes was required to pass the resolution. Finally, he said that the GOE agreed with the U.S. position that comprehensive UN reform should not be considered precipitously. 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. JONES