NIGERIA: IAEA BOARD ELECTION DEMARCHE DELIVERED

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001928 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA, ISN/RA- NEPHEW, DANIEL, IO/T - VON BEHREN DOE FOR GEORGE PERSON E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2018 TAGS: PGOV PARM IAEA MNUC NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: IAEA BOARD ELECTION DEMARCHE DELIVERED REF: STATE 99746 Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Cheryl Fernandes for reasons 1.4. (b & d). ¶1. (C) PolOff delivered reftel demarche on September 26 to Maria Laose, Deputy Director of the First United Nations Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, strongly urging Nigerian support for Afghanistan's candidacy for election to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) during the IAEA General Conference September 29 - October 3. ¶2. (C) Laose told Poloff she had already communicated with Alus Tydeen, Nigeria's desk officer at the IAEA in Vienna, as the Nigerian Ambassador to the IAEA is currently at the UN General Assembly in New York. Laose, who formerly worked at Nigeria's mission to the IAEA, noted that Nigeria preferred to work with members of the non-aligned movement and to "not be put on the spot." Nevertheless, she said that if it came down to a secret ballot, Nigeria would "definitely" vote for Afghanistan in order to block Iran or Syria from the Board. She also mentioned that the British had already demarched her on this matter. SANDERS