INVITATION DELIVERED, SARAN OUT OF TOWN

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 004355 SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/UNP (S BROCK),P (B HUNT),USUN FOR L GADKOWSKI E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2015 TAGS: PREL IN UNSC SUBJECT: INVITATION DELIVERED, SARAN OUT OF TOWN REF: STATE 107200 NOTAL Classified By: Charge Robert Blake for Reasons 1.4(B, D). ¶1. (C) As Foreign Secretary Saran is away from New Delhi, Charge forwarded U/S Burns's invitation to Saran's office via letter, and called Acting Joint Secretary (Americas) Renu Pall to alert her to the invitation. Pall called Charge later in the day to say that Saran already has committed to participate in the South-South Summit in Qatar from June 14-16, after which he must return to New Delhi for Foreign Office consultations with Bangladesh on the 17th and other countries the following week. Pall noted that the Indian PermRep also will be attending the South-South Summit, but could conceivably participate in talks in New York on June 17. Comment -------------- ¶2. (C) Although Saran may not be able to travel to New York, it may be possible to include him via digital video conference from Qatar. We have NOT/NOT broached this with the GOI, pending instructions from Washington. BLAKE