DEMARCHE ON NAM SUMMIT DELIVERED

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 017908 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2016 TAGS: PREL UNGA PTER PHUM CU PK SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON NAM SUMMIT DELIVERED REF: STATE 145242 Classified By: DCM Peter W. Bodde, Reason: 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Summary: On September 5, poloff delivered reftel demarche to Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UN-I) Director Haider Shah. Poloff and Shah discussed the issues that might be discussed during the NAM summit in Havana: the UN Security Council race between Guatemala and Venezuela, an international definition of terrorism, and the recent crisis in the Middle East. End summary. UN Security Council: Guatemala vs. Venezuela -------------- ¶2. (C) Shah reiterated the Government of Pakistan's (GOP) position to support Guatemala in its bid for a UNSC seat. He added that it would be unlikely that the UN Security Council race would be discussed during the summit. Typically, most of the horse-trading occurs in New York in the weeks preceding the vote. Terrorism -------------- ¶3. (C) Turning to the NAM final document on terrorism, Shah thoroughly explained the GOP's position on equating national liberation movements with terrorism. Shah said that Pakistan is strongly against terrorism, fights terrorism, and is a victim of terrorism. However, the GOP recognizes the right of people to struggle for liberation and does not equate exercising that right with terrorism. The Middle East and democracy in Cuba -------------- ¶4. (C) Shah said that he had read some of the draft language on the Middle East that is being circulated for the NAM's final document and it strongly opposes Israel's recent actions in Lebanon. He said that it did include references to "Israeli crimes," but he did not recall the exact language. Singapore is the only country to object to the current draft. Shah said that the GOP would most likely join the consensus view on the subject (i.e. vote to support the current draft). Finally, Shah did not engage with poloff on the importance of supporting democracy in Cuba. CROCKER