CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): UPDATE ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000256 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN, ISN/CB, VCI/CCB, L/ACV, IO/S SECDEF FOR OSD/ISP JOINT STAFF FOR DD PMA-A FOR WTC COMMERCE FOR BIS (GOLDMAN) NSC FOR LEDDY WINPAC FOR WALTER E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2017 TAGS: PARM AORC EIND OPCW CWC CBW IR SUBJECT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): UPDATE ON EFFORTS TO BLOCK IRAN AS OPCW EXECUTIVE COUNCIL CHAIR REF: A. THE HAGUE 204 ¶B. STATE 11293 (NOTAL) Classified By: Ambassador Eric M. Javits, U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). This is CWC-12-07. ¶1. (C) On February 6, Japanese Ambassador Komachi reported to Ambassador Javits about his discussions with Malaysian Ambassador Ariffin. Ariffin said she was aware of Iran's interest in becoming EC chair, but admitted that it would be hard to build an Asian Group consensus around an Iranian candidacy. She made clear that she has no personal agenda with regard to this issue, and she promised Komachi that she would check with ASEAN colleagues about support for South Korean Ambassador Choi as a possible chair. She added that she would also check with the Ambassadors of China and India. However, Komachi received the clear impression that Ariffin is not particularly enthused about Choi's candidacy. She admitted that she was a bit surprised by the fact that Choi was under consideration, adding that she was not familiar with his background and qualifications. Komachi noted that Choi had been in New York had had extensive UN experience ¶2. (C) Komachi asked Ariffin if she might be interested herself in serving as the chair, and Ariffin replied that she would be leaving by the end of the year. Komachi then raised Philippine Ambassador Arguelles as a possible candidate, and Ariffin said she certainly would support Arguelles. Indeed, Ariffin indicated she would talk to Arguelles about that possibility. Komachi informed Javits that he had already raised the issue directly with Arguelles and that Arguelles had no objection to serving as the chair. Komachi concluded by highlighting the fact that Ariffin clearly prefers an ASEAN candidate and specifically prefers Arguelles to Choi. ¶3. (C) Javits followed up by meeting with Arguelles, who indicated that he supported Choi for the chairmanship. When Javits asked whether Arguelles would himself be interested in the job, Arguelles did not provide an explicit statement, but seemed to be receptive to the position in the event a consensus did not coalesce around the South Korean candidacy. (Note: Arguelles has been in The Hague since 2002. Should he become the Asian group candidate, one issue which may arise is asking the Philippine Foreign Ministry if Arguelles could remain in The Hague until mid-2008. End Note.) ¶4. (C) Komachi also gave his personal view that at this time, it might not be effective to expand discussion of the possible Iranian candidacy to a much larger group of delegations. While that may be necessary at a later stage, for the moment, Komachi said he has been careful not to indicate Japan has been demarched by the U.S. and suggested for the time being keeping the effort to the delegations that have already been brought into this discussion, other WEOG delegations and some selected Eastern European delegations. ¶5. (C) On February 8, FRG Ambassador Petri informed Javits as well as the UK and French delegations that he had raised the issue of the EC chairmanship with Indian Ambassador Sabharwal. Petri had done this on his own initiative without notifying any of the other Close Allies. Javits was surprised that Petri had taken it on himself to raise this with Sabharwal and called Komachi to both inform him and get his reaction. Komachi said that it was the custom in the Asian Group that the big countries like China and India would not take a position like a chairmanship and that these would be left to others in the group. More important, Komachi said that he thought the deliberations within the group were proceeding well and there were good alternative candidates in South Korea and the Philippines. Komachi said he was not aware of Sabharwal even having been approached with this issue before Petri raised it with her. ¶6. (C) Based on the status of discussions in The Hague regarding finding an alternative candidate, we do not believe it is necessary yet to further demarche capitals in the Asian Group (e.g., Seoul, Manila) on this issue. The U.S. del will inform Washington on an urgent basis if it believes such a step is needed. ¶7. (U) Javits sends. ARNALL