Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PORTMORESBY370
2006-09-06 01:50:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Port Moresby
Cable title:  

SOMARE COMMITS TO VENEZUELA

Tags:  PREL UNSC PP 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1815
OO RUEHPB
DE RUEHPB #0370 2490150
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O P 060150Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4602
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0873
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0028
RHMFISS/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 2019
C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT MORESBY 000370 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR IO/UNP AND EAP/ANP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/6/2016
TAGS: PREL UNSC PP
SUBJECT: SOMARE COMMITS TO VENEZUELA

REF: PORT MORESBY 65

CLASSIFIED BY: Robert Fitts, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy Port
Moresby, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT MORESBY 000370

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR IO/UNP AND EAP/ANP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/6/2016
TAGS: PREL UNSC PP
SUBJECT: SOMARE COMMITS TO VENEZUELA

REF: PORT MORESBY 65

CLASSIFIED BY: Robert Fitts, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy Port
Moresby, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (d)

1.(U) Prime Minister (and Acting Foreign Minister) Somare has
committed PNG's support to Venezuela in its bid for a
non-permanent UNSC seat. Per Sept 6 press reports, he told a
visiting Venezuelan envoy that he was happy with Venezuelan
objectives in the Security Council and looked forward to meeting
with Hugo Chavez at the upcoming NAM summit.

2.(C) Ambassador met with Somare's acting Chief Secretary Sept
1, who was receptive to our assessment of the likely disruptive
impact of Venezuela on the council and professed no knowledge of
a Venezuelan envoy. The Foreign Department Secretary had
similarly not heard that any such visit was pending. It's
likely they were out of the loop rather than being duplicitous.
Somare likes to run his own show and delights in being prickly.

3.(C) Action Request: Ambassador is attempting to meet the Chief
Secretary before he and Somare depart Sept 11 for the NAM

SIPDIS
meetings. Now that Somare is publically committed, it is
probably too late to turn him around. However, post would
appreciate any updated, island-specific talking points
department could provide.

FITTS