ISOLATING SYRIA AT THE UNGA: POLAND

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 003250

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2015
TAGS: PREL PTER SY PL UNGA
SUBJECT: ISOLATING SYRIA AT THE UNGA: POLAND

REF: STATE 159137

Classified By: Deputy Pol Counselor Bill Mozdzierz, reasons 1.4bd


1. (C) Polish MFA Deputy Director for the Middle East and
Africa Wojciech Bozek assured us August 31 that neither
Polish Foreign Minister Daniel Rotfeld nor President
Aleksander Kwasniewski has any plans to meet with Al-Asad in
New York, for both reasons of policy and scheduling. Bozek
indicated that the Poles have so far not been approached by
the Syrians, and indicated that any eventual request would
almost certainly be turned down.


2. (C) Having said that, however, and despite readily
expressing agreement with our assessment of Syrian
activities, Bozek cautioned that the Polish government
believes that engagement with the Syrians will be needed to
secure cooperation on the four areas outlined in our
presentation. Bozek explained that his government recognizes
the importance of denying propaganda opportunities such as at
the UNGA, but suggested that isolation alone may be
insufficient to convince Syria to alter its behavior.
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