IRAN/NAM: Demarche Delivered to Vietnam

UNCLAS HANOI 001255 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP AORC TRGY ENRG IAEA IR VM SUBJECT: IRAN/NAM: Demarche Delivered to Vietnam REF: STATE 83239 ¶1. (SBU) Senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials have been completely tied up with the visit of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, so Poloff delivered reftel demarche January 20 to Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Arms Control Expert Vu Van Mien. Mien is responsible for drafting the papers on Iran for Foreign Minister Nguyen Dzy Nien's use at the upcoming NAM Ministerial in Kuala Lumpur. ¶2. (SBU) Mien made two points: Vietnam's policy on opposing proliferation of nuclear weapons has not changed, but the United States should be careful in how it describes the IAEA's conclusions. True, Mien said, the IAEA has documented Iran's failure to cooperate, but failure to cooperate is a significant step short of concluding that Iran is developing a nuclear weapons program. ¶3. (SBU) Mien said that he will put the U.S. demarche on FM Nien's desk today, and that the United States can expect that the GVN will consider its position on Iran carefully. Iran has proposed a resolution for consideration by the NAM, Mien noted, but the GVN's assessment of Iran's resolution is that "its chance of passing is slim." BOARDMAN