IRELAND LIKELY TO ABSTAIN ON OIE CHINA/TAIWAN

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000409 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EAGR AORG TW CH EI SUBJECT: IRELAND LIKELY TO ABSTAIN ON OIE CHINA/TAIWAN RESOLUTION REF: STATE 67444 (SBU) Ireland will likely abstain on the May 25 vote in the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) on the resolution proposed by China to have Taiwan participate in the OIE under the name, "Taiwan, China," according to Isolde Moylan, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Director for Asia and Oceania, who received reftel demarche on May 18 and who spoke again with A/DCM on May 24. Moylan noted that the German Presidency had attempted on May 24 to establish an EU common position on the resolution that would have included an abstention by Member States and a statement on the China-Taiwan relationship. She added that this effort collapsed when a number of Member States made clear that they would vote in favor of the resolution as currently worded. Moylan observed that Ireland would have preferred an EU common position in favor of a resolution with acceptable wording, especially after it became apparent that the vote could not be postponed. FOLEY