DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON NAM STATEMENT ON IRAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 010554 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2011 TAGS: PREL AORC IAEA KNNP UNSC IR PK SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON NAM STATEMENT ON IRAN REF: STATE 89324 Classified By: Ambassador Ryan Crocker, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) On June 3, Poloff delivered reftel demarache points to the Ministry of Foreign Affair's UN Director, Imran Siddiqui. Siddiqui explained that for many delegations the preoccuption with the potential use of force against Iran drove the NAM's statement in support of Iran. Siddiqui said that the original version of the statement, which was introduced by the Iranian delegation, was much more emphatic in its support of Iran but subsequent negotations among the various delegations toned down the final version. Siddiqui added that many member states were reluctant to push for even the slightest rebuke of Iran lest it be used by the UN Security Council or the USG as justification for military action. Asked about the Pakistani delegation's role in the negotiations on the final statement, Siddiqui remarked that the Pakistani delegation tried only to work as a consensus-maker and did not advocate in any one direction. ¶2. (C) Despite Pakistan's interest in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, Siddiqui said that strong cultural, economic and religious ties with Iran as well as a paramount desire for stability in the region compel the GOP to go only to the extent of publicly saying that Iran should comply with its NPT obligations. BODDE