IRAQ ELECTIONS: IRELAND LOOKS TO THE EU FOR A

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000088 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/24/2015 TAGS: PREL KPAO SUBJECT: IRAQ ELECTIONS: IRELAND LOOKS TO THE EU FOR A STATEMENT REF: A. STATE 6458 ¶B. STATE 12757 ¶1. (C) Further to reftels, Embassy Dublin is lobbying the GOI aggressively to issue a statement in support of Iraq elections. The Ambassador raised it with the Prime Minister's office and with parliamentarians in the two government parties. The DCM and POL/ECON chief have raised it at senior levels of the DFA; the PAO is discussing with government spokespersons; POL/ECON chief has written to the chairman of the joint foreign affairs committee, providing background information and encouraging a public statement. Media outreach is also in progress, beginning with a January 19 background session among PAO, a POL officer who served recently in Iraq, and a senior correspondent of a leading daily. ¶2. (C) On January 21, Tony Mannix, Director of the DFA's Middle East, Gulf and North Africa office, told DCM and POL/ECON chief that the Irish would look to the EU to issue a statement on behalf of all governments. We urged him to issue an Irish statement as well, and will continue to press the government in the days remaining. KENNY