U.S. STATEMENT ON IRAN

UNCLAS OUAGADOUGOU 000420

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL CH IR SG
SUBJECT: U.S. STATEMENT ON IRAN

REF: SECSTATE 87682


1. (SBU) DCM presented demarche to Salifou Sawadogo, Chef
de Cabinet of the Prime Minister. The President and Minister
of Foreign Affairs are both out of the country, and the Prime
Minister is unavailable until next week. Sawadogo took
careful notes as DCM presented demarche, summarized the
actions that the U.S. is seeking of the GOBF and said that he
would relay our points to the Prime Minister.


2. (SBU) Sawadogo made a point to comment that Burkina Faso
is supportive of the U.S. position on large global issues.
He observed that because Burkina is a small, impoverished
country, issues relating to international stability are
important to the country. High oil prices are becoming a
political liability for the country's leadership and as Iran
is a major oil producer, Middle East stability and its impact
on international oil prices resonate with the government.
DCM said that she would follow-up with Sawodogo on Monday
regarding the Prime Minister's reaction.


3. (SBU) By chance, on May 31, the Israeli ambassador, who
is resident in Abidjan, paid a courtesy call on the
Ambassador. During the course of their meeting, the Israeli
ambassador said that he had heard that Iran was planning to
open an embassy in Burkina Faso. (Comment, Iran previously
had an embassy in Ouagadougou, and post is trying to confirm
when it closed. End comment.) DCM took the opportunity of
the demarche to raise this issue with Sawodogo. Sawodogo
cautiously responded by saying he did not have any
information on this and therefore could not answer the DCM,s
question. DCM then suggested that if the GOBF had good
relations with Iran, the GOBF should use that relationship to
encourage the GOI to the negotiating table. DCM further
commented that the international community had to be united
in its position regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Jackson