POLAND ON NOVEMBER 17 EMERGENCY SPECIAL SESSION OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 002412 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2011 TAGS: PREL UNGA EU PL SUBJECT: POLAND ON NOVEMBER 17 EMERGENCY SPECIAL SESSION OF UNGA - EU NEGOTIATING WITH PALESTINIANS IN NEW YORK REF: STATE 188244 Classified By: Political External Chief David T. Morris, reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Pol External Chief delivered reftel points November 17 to Beata Baranska, Political Affairs Chief in the MFA UN Department. Baranska responded that she understood from the Polish delegation in New York that, following EU consultations on November 16, the Finnish EU presidency had received indications that the Palestinian observer delegation was open to discussions with the EU. The Finns had apparently then negotiated late into the evening November 16 with the Palestinians in an effort to gain more balance in the Palestinian draft resolution. Baranska had received overnight from New York an amended draft that was somewhat more balanced than reftel draft. ¶2. (C) Baranska said that the GOP's overriding priority on this resolution as on most major issues at the UNGA this year was to preserve a common EU position. The EU was holding another coordination meeting in New York at 0900 EST on November 17 - at the level of PermReps - to attempt to reach a final common position on the amended Palestinian text. She hoped that the member states would be successful, but was unable to predict whether the outcome would be a decision to abstain on the resolution or, though much less likely, support it. HILLAS