NETHERLANDS/VENEZUELA: DEFEATING VENEZUELAN UNSC

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000281 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/UNP (B. HARRIS) AND WHA/PPC (R. YONEOKA) E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/08/2011 TAGS: PREL UNSC UN GT VE NL SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/VENEZUELA: DEFEATING VENEZUELAN UNSC BID REF: STATE 20173 Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Schofer; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche on February 8 to Pieter van der Vliet, head of the MFA's Political and Legal Affairs Division, UN and IFIs Department. V/d Vliet said that the UN and IFIs Department would do everything in its power to prevent Venezuela from taking a UNSC seat. While his department would have the lead on the issue, v/d Vliet said he would work with the Western Hemishpere Department of the MFA, which covers Venezuela, to ensure that the MFA spoke with one voice. ¶2. (C) In response to our concern that Venezuela has already begun its campaign for the UNSC seat, v/d Vliet said that he had received a message to this effect, on February 7, from the Dutch mission in Geneva. He stressed that the Dutch would be very sensitive to timing in determing their strategy. V/d Vliet made clear that he would be open to further discussions with us regarding specific tactics to counter Venezuelan campaigning. ¶3. (C) Separately, Poloff spoke with Gertie Mulder, head of the South America Division of the Western Hemisphere Department. Poloff again stressed our concern that Venezuela has already begun actively campaigning. Mulder said that "no decision" had been taken but noted, without prompting, that the Venezuelans have been "quite disruptive" in multilateral events. She agreed to raise the issue with colleagues and said she would be open to further discussions with us on this issue. BLAKEMAN