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