CAMBODIA: IRAN AND NAM STATEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L PHNOM PENH 001091 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, IO; GENEVA FOR RMA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/09/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL AORC CB SUBJECT: CAMBODIA: IRAN AND NAM STATEMENT REF: A. STATE 89325 ¶B. STATE 87682 Classified By: A/DCM Margaret McKean; Reason 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. During a June 8 meeting with Acting Foreign Minister Ouch Borith, Charge delivered demarche points contained in reftels. On Iran, Borith said the RGC would consider a public statement, and asked to see Secretary Rice's statement regarding the USG proposal, which the Embassy has forwarded to the MFA. He noted that Cambodia has resisted invitations for high-level RGC officials to visit Iran. On the NAM statement, Borith explained that Cambodia received the draft final document very late, and there had been no mention of Iran. End Summary. Iran -------------- ¶2. (C) On June 8, Charge d'Affaires and A/DCM met with Acting Foreign Minister and MFA Secretary of State Ouch Borith regarding reftel demarches concerning Iran and the NAM Statement. On Iran, the Charge noted that the USG wishes to pursue a diplomatic solution to the nuclear question, and Secretary Rice's groundbreaking proposal is in keeping with SIPDIS that objective. After summarizing the points included in reftel A, he asked that the RGC consider making a public statement in support of the USG proposal. Borith asked for a copy of Secretary Rice's statement outlining the USG proposal. Borith noted that Iran previously had issued invitations to the President of the National Assembly and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to visit Iran; Cambodia has always declined. The Acting FM stated that Cambodia supports nonproliferation in principle and its voting record at the UN follows that policy. He promised to consult with Minister Hor Namhong regarding the USG request. Embassy forwarded a copy of Secretary Rice's statement to the MFA on June 9, and will follow up. NAM --- ¶3. (C) On the NAM statement, Borith said that Cambodia was not wholly satisfied with the statement but went along with the consensus. He added that Cambodia has reservations about Iran and the lack of transparency in the Government of Iran's dealings with the IAEA. In principle, he noted, the NAM supports the peaceful use of nuclear power for non-military purposes. The Charge stressed that Iran's program clearly was aimed at producing weapons and that IAEA analysis demonstrated that Tehran had something to hide. Borith said that the RGC only received the draft of the final document and other conference materials very late; there was no mention of a statement on Iran. He concurred that Singapore was the only country to offer spirited opposition to the statement. STORELLA