UNSCR 1737 IRAN DEMARCHE DELIVERED

UNCLAS BELGRADE 000239 SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN, EB, NEA, IO, VCI, P AND T TREASURY FOR TFI SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP EFIN IR SUBJECT: UNSCR 1737 IRAN DEMARCHE DELIVERED REF: STATE 14071 ¶1. (SBU) The Ambassador delivered reftel points on Iran to leaders of the business community in Serbia and also to Minister of Finance Milan Parivodic. ¶2. (SBU) On February 20, the Ambassador gathered the leaders of the of the American Chamber of Commerce, Foreign Investors Council, Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Association of Serbian Banks to alert domestic and international business to the need for great vigilance in doing business with Iran according to reftel points. Participants were receptive to the message and said that they would call on their members to exercise caution and full due diligence on all commercial deals with Iran. ¶3. (SBU) Slobodan Milosavljevic, Executive Director of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, noted that Serbia's foreign trade with Iran amounted to approximately USD 12 million in 2006 and has averaged between USD 5 million and USD 14 million since 2000. He stated that trade with Iran was at much higher levels during the 90s than it is currently. ¶4. (SBU) On February 21, the Ambassador met with Foreign Economic Trade and Finance Minister Parivodic to discuss reftel points. Parivodic assured the Ambassador that the GOS would support the UNSCR fully and that he would coordinate with other relevant ministries and departments of the GOS on implementation. POLT