LEBANON: DEMARCHE REQUEST UNESCO DIRECTOR-GENERAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 001774 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR, NEA/ELA ALSO FOR IO A/S HOOK, USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER IO/UNESCO SIEKMAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2018 TAGS: CDG IS LE PARM PGOV PHUM PREL SY UNGA SUBJECT: LEBANON: DEMARCHE REQUEST UNESCO DIRECTOR-GENERAL ELECTION REF: STATE 130916 Classified By: Classified By: Ambassador M. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) POLOFF delivered reftel demarche to Oussama Khachab, Head of the Americas Desk at the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 19. Khachab displayed interest in the subject. He noted there could be many more qualified candidates than Hosni and suggested a former Lebanese Minister of Culture as a nominee. He offered the name of Ghassan Salameh. ¶2. (C) Khachab and separate media sources describe Mr. Salameh as one the most productive and charismatic ministers in former PM Hariri's fourth Cabinet. Salameh, a professor in economics and political science, is currently teaching at the French National Center for Strategic Research (CNRS) in Paris. In 2003 he was appointed an advisor in Iraq to UN Special Envoy Sergio de Mello. In 2000, he was appointed as Minister of Culture. He was highly praised for his work on conducting the Francophone Summit, held in Beirut in 2002. Salameh was also entrusted with the March 2001 Arab League Summit in Beirut. ¶3. (SBU) Khachab had no other substantive comments, but stated he would pass the request to Foreign Affairs Minister Fawzi Salloukh. SISON