ECUADOR FM'S RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON IRAN AND THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 002133 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2027 TAGS: MNUC PREL AORC KNNP IAEA EC IR SUBJECT: ECUADOR FM'S RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON IRAN AND THE IAEA REF: STATE 124823 Classified By: AMBASSADOR LINDA JEWELL FOR REASON 1.4 (D) ¶1. (C) The Ambassador delivered reftel demarche to Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa on September 7. Espinosa responded that she was extremely interested and concerned about the Iranian nuclear program. She asked us to follow up with Ambassador Emilio Izquierdo, the Multilateral Affairs Under Secretary. ¶2. (C) PolChief discussed reftel points in more detail with U/S Izquierdo on September 14. She emphasized that Iran must meet UN Security Council requirements in addition to cooperating with the IAEA. Recognizing that Ecuador (as an agreed GRULAC candidate) was expected to join the IAEA Board on September 24, PolChief expressed USG interest in working closely with Ecuador in Vienna on Iran and other issues. ¶3. (C) Izquierdo said the GOE had always taken a firm position against nuclear proliferation and opposed any concessions that would allow additional countries to acquire nuclear weapons capabilities. He made clear that Ecuador wanted to play an active and constructive role in multilateral efforts on Iran and other nonproliferation concerns. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: Iran is pressing hard to enhance diplomatic and commercial ties with Ecuador since Correa took office. More than one senior delegation has visited, and they are reportedly pushing to receive permission to open an Embassy in Quito. The GOE has generally resisted those pressures to date and is only allowing Iran to open a Commercial Office. It is encouraging that Iran's diplomatic press on the GOE does not seem to have softened Ecuador's traditional supportive stance on nuclear proliferation issues in this case. ¶5. (C) BIO NOTE: Izquierdo, who assumed his current position in August, was previously assigned to the Ecuadorian Mission in New York. He told us he had constructive working relationships with USG officials during that time. Izquierdo served as Chair of the Disarmament Commission's Working Group on the Establishment of Nuclear-Free Zones. BROWN