AMBASSADOR'S ASSESSMENT OF UNHRC ELECTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 000568 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR U/S BURNS FROM AMBASSADOR DERSE, ALSO FOR IO/RHS, DRL/MLGA AND EUR/PGI E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2017 TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC AJ SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S ASSESSMENT OF UNHRC ELECTION REF: A. STATE 63345 ¶B. STATE 61831 Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Joan Polaschik per 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) The Ambassador delivered reftel demarches on Belarus and the UN Human Rights Council in separate May 10 conversations with President Aliyev's Chief of Staff Ramiz Mehdiyev and Foreign Policy Advisor Novruz Mammadov, as well as Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev. (Foreign Minister Mammadyarov currently is out of the country, as is Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov who is responsible for UN issues within the Azerbaijani MFA.) The Ambassador underscored the importance of this issue to the US-Azerbaijan bilateral relationship, noting that democratic countries should not be seen as supportive of Belarus' repressive policies. Mehdiyev promised to convey the Ambassador's message to President Aliyev, who was about to leave for a state visit to Poland. In a separate, follow-on telephone conversation, Foreign Policy Advisor Mammadov informed the Ambassador that he would discuss the issue on Monday, May 14 with Foreign Minister Mammadyarov and Deputy Foreign Minister Azimov, and that he would inform the Ambassador of the GOAJ's position after that discussion. ¶2. (C) Comment: Given the GOAJ's track record of trading votes on UN issues in exchange for support on issues related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as Lukashenka's recent visit to Baku, the GOAJ's response is more positive than we expected. We believe that continued high-level interventions could help win Azerbaijani support for Slovenia and Bosnia. We recommend that DAS Bryza (in Strasbourg for meetings with FM Mammadyarov) also deliver a strong message to Mammadyarov. We will report any developments in the GOAJ position septel. DERSE