VZCZCXRO4106
OO RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHBS #1822 3371636
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 021636Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8280
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC IMMEDIATE
S E C R E T BRUSSELS 001822
SIPDIS
STATE FOR ISN/CPI AND EUR/WE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2018 TAGS: PARM PREL EFIN KNNP IR BE SUBJECT: BELGIUM:LEVERAGING FATF STATEMENT ON IRAN
REF: SECSTATE 115523
Classified By: Political Economic Counselor Richard Eason for reasons 1 .4 (B) and (D)
S) Poloff delivered reftel points to the MFA UN Security Council and Iran Desks November 6. MFA Contacts assured us Belgium takes seriously its responsibilities in limiting Iran's use of its financial system. They noted Belgium works closely with the U.S. delegation on Iran issues in New York and actively participates in FATF. They said that they did not know of any Belgian banks entering into new relationships with Iranian firms, but were only fulfilling old contracts. They said the GOB has spoken to KBC in the past and believed that the KBC relationships referenced in the cable were from long-standing contracts stemming from a time prior to international concerns, and that KBC has not developed new relationships with Iranian banks. (NOTE: Treasury Under Secretary Stuart Level raised this issue with KBC in September. Much of the business was with Iran,s Central Bank and KBC is now winding that down. END NOTE)