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