Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05QUITO799
2005-04-13 12:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Quito
Cable title:  

ECUADOR WILL ABSTAIN ON BELARUS AND CUBA, BUT NOT

Tags:  PHUM BO CU EC 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000799 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR DRL/MLA, WHA/CCA, AND IO/SHA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/12/2015
TAGS: PHUM BO CU EC
SUBJECT: ECUADOR WILL ABSTAIN ON BELARUS AND CUBA, BUT NOT
KOREA

REF: SECSTATE 64376

Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney for Reason 1.4 (B&D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000799

SIPDIS

STATE FOR DRL/MLA, WHA/CCA, AND IO/SHA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/12/2015
TAGS: PHUM BO CU EC
SUBJECT: ECUADOR WILL ABSTAIN ON BELARUS AND CUBA, BUT NOT
KOREA

REF: SECSTATE 64376

Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney for Reason 1.4 (B&D)


1. (C) Summary: The GOE will vote against any no-action
motion in Geneva, but will firmly abstain from voting on
Belarus and Cuba resolutions, according to MFA officials.
The only country-specific resolution the GOE will vote for
relates to North Korea. End Summary.


2. (C) PolChief accompanied Dutch Ambassador (acting as EU
president here in the absence of representation by
Luxembourg) on April 12 to jointly deliver Belarus demarche
outlined RefTel. MFA U/S for Human Rights Julio Prado told us
that he had instructed Ecuador's mission in Geneva to vote
against any no-action motion, on principle. That instruction
applies to the Belarus resolution.


3. (C) Prado said that Ecuador would abstain on all
country-specific resolutions except the EU's resolution on
North Korea. By doing so, he said, Ecuador was applying the
principle that country-specific resolutions were
inappropriate except in cases where a pattern of flagrant and
egregious abuses was apparent. PolChief and Dutch Ambassador
used demarche talking points to argue that Belarus met that
standard. Prado said the GOE position on abstention on both
Belarus and Cuba were firm.


4. (C) PolChief noted that the Cuba vote is the USG's
highest priority in Geneva, and inquired about the results of
FM Zuquilanda's discussions with U.S. officials in Washington
on the margins of the OAS meetings April 11. Prado said the
FM was expected back in Quito later on the 12th, but that he
had not heard of any change in the GOE position on the Cuba
resolution.
KENNEY