AZERBAIJAN: P5+1 INCENTIVE PACKAGE DEMARCHE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 001091 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV KNNP IR EU AORC AJ SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: P5+1 INCENTIVE PACKAGE DEMARCHE DELIVERED REF: A. STATE 119436 ¶B. BAKU 1062 Classified By: Acting DCM Joan Polaschik for Reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered ref A demarche to MFA Americas Desk officer Ilgar Mukhtarov July 24. Mukhtarov told Poloff that the GOAJ was concerned that the Israeli-Lebanese conflict might distract the international community's attention from the P5 1 incentive package negotiations and therefore interfere with efforts to halt Iranian nuclear proliferation. Mukhtarov repeated the Foreign Minister's message to the Ambassador that the GOAJ would use its OIC leadership role to moderate the OIC's position on Israeli-Lebanese conflict (ref. b). Mukhtarov added that Azerbaijan walks a fine line in dealing with Iran given its geo-political position as one of Iran's neighbors and its chairmanship of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ministerial Council. Mukhtarov said that he would brief the MFA leadership on our demarche and brief Emboffs on the OIC negotiations in New York as soon as he knew more information. (Note: The Ambassador plans to meet the Foreign Minister this week to discuss the Iranian incentive package further.) DERSE