CZECHS NOT LIKELY TO SUPPORT U.S. CANDIDATE FOR

UNCLAS PRAGUE 001158 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/NCE ERIC FICHTE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC ECPS EUN EWWT IMO INMARSAT KHLS EZ SUBJECT: CZECHS NOT LIKELY TO SUPPORT U.S. CANDIDATE FOR IMSO DIRECTOR REF: STATE 140757 ¶1. Econoff met September 6 with Ministry of Informatics Head of European Integration and International Relations Unit Marketa Morska about reftel request for support of Mr. Steven Lett as Director of International Mobile Satellite Organization. Morska explained her ministry will not make the final decision, but will recommend a short-list of candidates equally ranked to the MFA for a final political decision. The short-list will include the U.S. candidate, Mr. Steven Lett, as well as the two other EU Member State candidates. ¶2. EconOff spoke September 18 with MFA Deputy Director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Relations Jaroslav Stepanek about reftel. Stepanek would not say how the Czechs would vote for the head of the IMSO during the September Assembly, but indicated Mr. Lett was not likely to receive their support. ¶3. The Czech delegation to the September Assembly will include members from the ministries of Informatics and Foreign Affairs as well as the Czech country mission in the United Kingdom. The yet unnamed Informatics deputy minister will head the delegation. CABANISS