IAEA/IRAN: YEMEN TO VOTE YES OR ABSTAIN ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000135

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2016
TAGS: PREL PARM KNNP IR YM IAEA
SUBJECT: IAEA/IRAN: YEMEN TO VOTE YES OR ABSTAIN ON
REFERRING IRAN TO UNSC

REF: A. STATE 10651

B. USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 51

C. SANAA 90

D. STATE 6236

E. STATE 5477

Classified By: AMBASSADOR THOMAS C. KRAJESKI, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (
D).


1. (C) Foreign Minister Abubakr al-Qirbi convoked the EU,
Russian, and U.S. chiefs of mission on January 25 to discuss
Yemen's position on Iranian nuclear issues. Qirbi said he
learned a great deal from technical briefings he had received
in Sanaa from the EU-3, and that the Republic of Yemen
Government (ROYG) would continue to listen to "all the facts"
before deciding on February 2 whether to vote to support
referring Iran to the UNSC or abstain. When the French
Ambassador asked if those were the only two options Yemen was
considering, Qirbi answered that his government would "vote
yes or not vote."


2. (C) The FonMin said that, in his view, the proposal to
refer Iran to the UNSC would pass the IAEA Board of Governors
"easily." Only five countries would reject it, while five
others would abstain, he said. Four countries were
"undecided," including two "important" ones, China and
Russia. He said the ROYG had taken note of Iran's recent
statement that it was willing to consider the Russian
proposal, but needed more time and wanted to postpone the
Board of Governors' meeting. The UK Ambassador stated that
the EU rejected any further postponement.


3. (C) COMMENT: The French and German chiefs of mission
agreed with Ambassador after the meeting that this was the
first time that a ROYG official had indicated a possibility
of support for a UNSC referral. They agreed that this may
indicate a small chance of winning the Yemenis over, but ROYG
officials will also no doubt be watching the Russians'
position carefully and factoring it into their decision
making.
Krajeski