PERU: DEMARCHE ON SYRIA-LEBANON RESOLUTION IN

UNCLAS LIMA 001833 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNSC SY LE PE SUBJECT: PERU: DEMARCHE ON SYRIA-LEBANON RESOLUTION IN SECURITY COUNCIL REF: STATE 74598 Sensitive but Unclassified. Please handle accordingly. ¶1. (U) Poloff delivered reftel points to the Foreign Ministry's Director of UN Affairs, Miguel Barreto on 3/10. On 3/11 Barreto told Poloff that the GOP in general supports the points, specifically the importance of restoring Lebanese sovereignty and independence. Barreto said he had not yet seen the draft text of the resolution but believed we were "on the same path" based on reftel points. Unsolicited, Barreto said that any effort to address the assassination of former Lebanon Prime Minister Rafik Hariri via a tribunal should be handled as a separate issue. ¶2. (SBU) Poloff coordinated these demarche conversations with United Kingdom Polcouns Jonathan Clare. Clare said that France Polcouns Christophe Billaude delivered a similar demarche to Barreto independently on 5/11 and gave Barreto a copy of the draft resolution. Clare shared with Poloff an email readout from Bilaude's meeting. In addition to the previous demarche responses (para 1) Barreto told Bilaude that it is important for Peru to have a balanced resolution. Barreto asked Bilaude about Russia and Qatar's positions on the draft resolution, specifically their positions on the need for a new resolution. STRUBLE