BELGIANS SUPPORT EARLY VOTE ON PROPOSED IRAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000171 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2018 TAGS: PREL PARM BE IR SUBJECT: BELGIANS SUPPORT EARLY VOTE ON PROPOSED IRAN RESOLUTION, LOBBYING OTHER UNSC MEMBERS AT SOLANA'S BEHEST REF: STATE 9217 (NOTAL) Classified By: Ambassador Sam Fox, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Per reftel instructions to seek Belgian support for an early vote on the next UNSC Iran sanctions resolution, the Ambassador met on February 1 with Belgian MFA Secretary General Grauls. In response to the Ambassador's suggestion that the MFA issue appropriate instructions to the Belgian Mission in New York, Grauls said the U.S. could "count on" Belgium to support the planned resolution on Iran. He added that, acting at the behest of EU High Representative Solana, Belgium was lobbying several other non-permanent members of the Security Council (Vietnam, Indonesia, and South Africa). He thought these countries would remain noncommittal until they were able to see a text. That said, the Belgian MFA expected all three eventually to support the resolution. Libya's position was not clear, he said, but he was almost certain that Costa Rica would stand fully behind the resolution. ¶2. (C) Grauls agreed with the Ambassador's arguments about the need to prevent problems by holding the vote at the earliest possible date. He said the Foreign Ministry hoped the vote would occur in the next few weeks, or certainly before the end of February. ¶3. (C) Grauls also provided a few details on the atmospherics of the recent Brussels visit of Iranian nuclear negotiator Jalili. Belgian FM De Gucht had been quite "tough" on Jalili, according to Grauls, making clear that any positive change in the bilateral relation would have to await a turnaround in Iran's approach to the nuclear issue. Fox .