LITHUANIA ON IRAN: SUPPORTING DEMOCRACY WITHOUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000025 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/2017 TAGS: PGOV KDEM KPAO PREL IR LH PL SUBJECT: LITHUANIA ON IRAN: SUPPORTING DEMOCRACY WITHOUT ENGAGING THE REGIME REF: A. SECSTATE 2659 ¶B. 06 VILNIUS 1113 ¶C. WERNER/KELLY EMAIL 01/10/07 Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Rebecca Dunham for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d ). ¶1. (C) We delivered ref A points to Jurate Ramoskiene, First Secretary in the MFA's Africa and Middle East Division, on SIPDIS January 11. She said that the GOL is "absolutely" supportive of a "two-dimensional approach" to Iran, including both sanctions and pro-democracy efforts. She said the GOL wants the people of Iran to have a say in the country's future. However, she added that Lithuania, which has no diplomatic representation in Teheran, is not involved in any pro-democracy programs in Iran and has no plans to develop them. ¶2. (C) We also met with Jonas Paslauskas, Director of the MFA,s Amerikas, Africa, and Pacific Department, on January 11 to discuss the GOL's query on the appropriateness of diplomatic consultations with the GOI (ref B). As per ref C, we told him that deepening ties with Iran would be inappropriate at this time. Paslauskas said that the GOI had recently approached the GOL about establishing an investment treaty, but that the GOL did not give them a response. He said the GOL will not move forward with any such deal and will continue to discuss such matters with us. He noted, however, that this issue will come up again with the GOI periodically approaching the GOL. He also showed us a Lithuanian-language document that reported on what he said were recent consultations between the Government of Poland and Iranian authorities. CLOUD