NETHERLANDS/IRAN: DUTCH SUPPORT U.S. STATEMENT ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 001233 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR AND NEA/IR E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV IR NL SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/IRAN: DUTCH SUPPORT U.S. STATEMENT ON IRAN REF: STATE 87682 Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROLAND ARNALL FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) Ambassador Arnall delivered reftel demarche seeking public statements of support for the U.S. position on Iran to Rob Swartbol, Senior Foreign Affairs Advisor to Prime Minister Balkenende, on March 31. Swartbol promised to pass the message immediately to the Foreign Minister -- who was in the air en route to Berlin -- and to the Prime Minister. DCM and POLCOUNS subsequently followed up with senior MFA contacts and provided them with the text of Secretary Rice's announcement from the State Department website. ¶2. (C) Later in the evening, MFA POLDIR Hugo Siblesz called the Ambassador to report that Foreign Minister Bot had received the U.S. message and responded immediately. As a result of the U.S. demarche, he added, the Foreign Minister had made a "very positive" statement with regard to the U.S. announcement at his joint press conference with the German Foreign Minister in Berlin. The text of Bot's remarks were not available at OOB June 1, but post has requested them from the MFA. ¶3. (C) Post will pass the full text of Foreign Minister Bot's remarks to Washington as soon as it is received. ARNALL