UN THIRD COMMITTEE: BULGARIA LIKELY TO SUPPORT

UNCLAS SOFIA 001258 SIPDIS SIPDIS EUR/NCE FOR MARK TURNER DRL/MLGA FOR LYNN SICADE AND SYLVIA HAMMOND IO/RHS AMY OSTERMEIER AND DEEPA GHOSH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL KTIA UN SUBJECT: UN THIRD COMMITTEE: BULGARIA LIKELY TO SUPPORT U.S. POSITIONS, EXCEPT ON DEATH PENALTY REF: SECSTATE 145641 ¶1. (SBU) PolOff delivered reftel demarche to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Head of the Department for UN and Global Issues, Kamen Velichkov on October 22. He said he could not confirm final positions, but anticipated that the GOB would support the Belarus resolution, the elections resolution, and the religious tolerance resolution. He said the GOB did not support the defamation of religion resolution last year and he saw no reason for the GOB to change positions this year. With respect to the situation in Burma, Velichkov said that the GOB will support EU actions. He also said that the GOB would likely support the U.S. sponsored resolution against the use of rape as a state instrument, but he could not confirm whether the GOB would co-sponsor this resolution. Velichkov said that the GOB respectfully disagrees with the U.S. position on the death penalty. This is a sensitive issue for the GOB because of the recent case involving the Bulgarian nurses held in Libya. ¶2. (SBU) PolOff separately delivered reftel demarche to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Human Rights expert Christina Yotova on October 24. Beyrle