LESOTHO: RESPONSE TO NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST

C O N F I D E N T I A L MASERU 000504 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN, EAP, AND IO E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2016 TAGS: PREL PARM KNNP KN LT SUBJECT: LESOTHO: RESPONSE TO NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST REF: (A) STATE 169418 (B) STATE 169269 (C) STATE 166404 CLASSIFIED BY: W. Patrick Murphy, Charge d'Affaires, EXEC , STATE. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) CLASSIFIED BY: W. Patrick Murphy, Charge d'Affaires, a.i., EXEC, DOS. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (SBU) Charge met on October 11 with Pitso Makosholo, acting Principle Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to give the GOL the USG reaction to North Korea's October 8 announcement of a nuclear weapon test. Charge also delivered the October 9 statement by the President (ref A). ¶2. (C) Makosholo described the North Korean test as a "disturbing development." He concurred that the action is a serious threat to peace and security throughout the region, noting that North Korea's proclivity for the proliferation of missile technology underscored the gravity of the nuclear test. ¶3. (C) Principle Secretary Makosholo, who observed that "even China" had expressed serious concern about the North Korea action, said that senior GOL officials would soon determine Lesotho's official response. He intimated that a GOL public denouncement of North Korea would be unlikely, but suggested that Lesotho would possibly offer "quiet" support for adoption and implementation of a Chapter VII UNSC resolution. MURPHY