HUNGARY'S VIEW ON EXTENSION OF THE OCCUPIED

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUDAPEST 000447 SIPDIS SIPDIS EUR/NCE MICHELLE LABONTE E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2022 TAGS: PREL PHUM HU SUBJECT: HUNGARY'S VIEW ON EXTENSION OF THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES MANDATE AT THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL REF: SECSTATE 35404 Classified By: POL/ECON-C Eric V. Gaudiosi. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). (C) 1. Hungary favors the U.S. position on this issue, but expects "a close vote" for support, even among EU countries at the UNHRC meeting in Geneva next week, according to Istvan Lakatos, acting director of the MFA's International Organizations Department Human Rights Office. Though noncommittal on how much sway the GOH will exert on its EU partners, Mr. Lakatos said that Hungary, an observer country, finds it more troubling to have "an open ended mandate like the OIC proposal" than to vote down an individual country mandate. For that reason, Hungary supports our position. (C) 2. When asked about influencing the mandate directly with OIC sponsors, Lakatos found no possibility of Hungary influencing the issue and elaborated that he "doubts any western, pro trans-Atlantic" actor can persuade the OIC. Said Lakatos, "we are in the minority on this vote and without Latin American support, I doubt we will win. Nobody can influence Latin American countries, more than the U.S." (C) 3. As in most foreign policy questions, the GOH will follow the EU consensus on this issue. The GOH is in favor of our position, but not so much in favor as to openly influence the broader EU or the sponsors of this resolution. FOLEY