NEPAL KEEN FOR UN SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 002457 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2016 TAGS: PREL UNSC NP SUBJECT: NEPAL KEEN FOR UN SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT REF: USUN NEW YORK 1619 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) During a September 8 meeting with heads of diplomatic missions, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs K.P. Oli requested that the diplomatic community support Nepal's candidacy for a non-permanent member seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2007-2008. The Ambassador stressed that, if the Government of Nepal (GON) included armed Maoists in the near future, having Nepal on the UNSC would be an issue. The Ambassador asked Oli what the Maoists thought of the GON joining the UNSC. Oli replied that the GON wanted to convert the Maoists to the political mainstream and noted that the GON was committed to democracy, protecting human rights and peace. The Maoists would be free to criticize the GON's performance on the UNSC, but the GON's performance on the council would still be driven by its guiding principles. COMMENT -------------- ¶2. (C) The fact that Oli called the diplomatic community together to request support for Nepal's UNSC candidacy is a strong signal that Nepal intends to seriously contest the two-way election with Indonesia for the single Asian seat (reftel). MORIARTY