Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07PARAMARIBO133
2007-03-19 19:42:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Paramaribo
Cable title:  

IRAN: AS USUAL, SURINAME LARGELY SILENT ON

Tags:  PREL NS KNNP IR 
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VZCZCXYZ0012
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPO #0133 0781942
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 191942Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9211
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARAMARIBO 000133 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

WHA/CAR FOR LAURA LUFTIG AND MATHEW BUFFINGTON, ISN/RA FOR
RICHARD NEPHEW, AND EB, NEA, IO, VCI, P, T, AND TREASURY-TFI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2017
TAGS: PREL NS KNNP IR
SUBJECT: IRAN: AS USUAL, SURINAME LARGELY SILENT ON
INTERNATIONAL ISSUE

REF: A. SECSTATE 14071

B. SECSTATE 23001

C. SECSTATE 24344

D. PARAMARIBO 802

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARAMARIBO 000133

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

WHA/CAR FOR LAURA LUFTIG AND MATHEW BUFFINGTON, ISN/RA FOR
RICHARD NEPHEW, AND EB, NEA, IO, VCI, P, T, AND TREASURY-TFI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2017
TAGS: PREL NS KNNP IR
SUBJECT: IRAN: AS USUAL, SURINAME LARGELY SILENT ON
INTERNATIONAL ISSUE

REF: A. SECSTATE 14071

B. SECSTATE 23001

C. SECSTATE 24344

D. PARAMARIBO 802


1. (C) SUMMARY: According to an official at the government
of Suriname,s (GOS) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),
Suriname has no position with regard to pressuring Iran on
UNSCR 1737 or nuclear proliferation. Typically for Suriname,
the official was reluctant to express clear positions and
sought to frame Suriname,s position in the framework of
CARICOM * Suriname,s primary international policy goal is
to avoid conflict--for itself. END SUMMARY

--------------
Willfully Free of the Middle East
--------------


2. (C) MFA Head of the Americas Division Terence Craig
(protect) said that Suriname has no position on pressuring
Iran at this time, but that it might possibly develop one in
conjunction with CARICOM (NOTE: This is nothing more than a
stalling tactic). If so, according to Craig this position
would be developed by CARICOM Ambassadors caucusing in New
York. When asked whether its CARICOM positions sometimes
conflict with its positions as a member of other
organizations such as the Islamic Conference, Craig said
Suriname will likely seek to abstain from the Islamic
Conference on this issue, and that abstention is its favored
strategy in such instances. Craig said that in principal
Suriname stands for peace, security, and non-proliferation,
and is in sympathy with the international community in
opposition to the Iranian nuclear program. Craig said
Suriname has little or no contact with Iran, or for that
matter with any country in the Middle East. Craig said that
if Suriname wishes to contact Iran or vice versa, they
communicate via the Iranian Embassy in Caracas.


3. (C) COMMENT: PolOff conducted a wide ranging discussion
with Craig in seeking information on Suriname,s attitude
towards Iran. Having been stymied in numerous other attempts
to receive a reaction--any reaction--to a demarche (ref D),
PolOff first sought to ask questions rather than deliver
points. While this led to a lengthy discussion (which Craig
referred to as &brainstorming8),essentially the outcome
was the same: if the GOS does have a position, it doesn't
want to say what it is, and would prefer to take no position
at all. Morevoer, officials in Paramaribo may not know what
is being decided by GOS officials in New York. Craig
detailed his personal theory of involvement, and it is a
handy summary of GOS MFA modus operandi: by not getting
involved in issues, Suriname maintains sovereignty and room
to maneuver. In other words, we expect that Suriname will
continue to avoid taking a position on international issues
whenever possible. END COMMENT

SCHREIBER HUGHES