CZECH REPUBLIC'S CONDITIONAL SUPPORT TO U.S.

UNCLAS PRAGUE 001621 SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/T LTOBEY, EB/CIP, EUR/NCE LONDON FOR EST TEVANS COMDT COGARD WASHDC FOR G-CI KJOHNSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC EWWT PHSA KTIA EZ IMO ECIP SUBJECT: CZECH REPUBLIC'S CONDITIONAL SUPPORT TO U.S. CANDIDACY IN INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO) REF.: STATE 207080 ¶1. Post delivered reftel demarche to the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of Multilateral Economic Relations. The MFA responded that it would support USG re- election to the IMO Council in Category "A." However, the MFA said that support would be conditional upon the USG's support of Czech candidacy for the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council. ¶2. ACTION REQUEST AND COMMENT: In our view, the Czechs believe the USG will have no problems getting re-elected to the IMO Council, and are trying this tactic to gauge USG support for the Czech ITU candidacy. Post requests department guidance on how to answer the MFA on the request for USG support for the Czech ITU candidacy. Cabaniss