U.S. STATEMENT ON IRAN; DEMARCHE ON NAM STATEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000940

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SA/INS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2016
TAGS: PREL AORC IAEA KNNP UNSC IR CE
SUBJECT: U.S. STATEMENT ON IRAN; DEMARCHE ON NAM STATEMENT
ON IRAN NUCLEAR ISSUE

REF: A. A) STATE 89324

B. B) STATE 87682

Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).


1. (C) Ambassador delivered demarche requested ref (A) to
Foreign Secretary Palihakkara June 5. Palihakkara said that
he had not read the NAM document, and presumed that as usual
this "112-member monster" had produced a lowest common
denominator document. Ambassador said that did not seem to be
the case; rather, the document was designed to actively
support Iran's case. Palihakkara said that Foreign Minister
Samaraweera had not stayed for the entire meeting, and he was
not sure if the Minister was present when the document was
adopted. Sri Lanka's brief going into the meeting, he said,
was that Sri Lanka could not fully support anything which
went against the last IAEA Board statement.


2. (C) Perhaps a bit embarrassed that Sri Lanka had signed on
to this document, Palihakkara tried to minimize its
significance. Ambassador emphasized that we took the issue
very seriously. By coincidence, that same day's press noted
that Iran had promised to supply petroleum to Sri Lanka at
below-market rates. Palihakkara has noted to us before that
Iran has pushed very hard on this issue, and no doubt will
continue to do so.


3. (C) On June 1, SCA A/S Boucher and the Ambassador briefed
Foreign Minister Samaraweera on Secretary Rice's May 31
statement on Iran and asked for public support by Sri Lanka.
The FM was non-committal on public support, but made clear
that Sri Lanka supported the U.S. effort ("a significant
move") and found it "encouraging for diplomacy."
LUNSTEAD