TAJIKISTAN - UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY THIRD COMMITTEE

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001151 SIPDIS STATE DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN, IO/RHS, AND DRL/MLGA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2018 TAGS: PHUM PREL UN SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN - UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY THIRD COMMITTEE 2008 HUMAN RIGHTS PRIORITIES REF: STATE 95334 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Necia Quast, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) POLOFF delivered reftel demarche to Shermahmad Radjabovich Niyasov, Second Secretary at the State Protocol Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Niyasov handles issues regarding the United Nations General Assembly and will be present in New York for the UNGA this September. Contents of reftel were forwarded separately to the MFA on September 9, 2008 to both Niyasov and Chief of the Department of International Organizations, Muzafar Husseinov. ¶2. (C) On an Iran resolution, Niyasov said Tajikistan's position was that the best way forward with Iran was through diplomatic channels. Tajikistan sought a peaceful resolution to the tensions between Iran and the west. Niyasov could not say whether Tajikistan would support or oppose any human rights resolution regarding Iran. POLOFF used this opening to stress to Niyasov the importance of voting against any &no-action8 request because it directly impeded the diplomatic process Niyasov said Tajikistan supported. ¶3. (C) Regarding the additional reftel points, Niyasov promised to provide POLOFF a non-paper within the next week summarizing Tajikistan's position on the issues. Details of any such non-paper will be forwarded separately upon receipt. ¶4. (C) Comment: Tajikistan seeks economic support from Iran, and gives it diplomatic support in return. It is very unlikely it would support an Iran resolution. Tajikistan also receives large amounts of economic assistance from China, in the form of low-interest loans for infrastructure projects, and is equally unlikely to contradict Chinese interests in the UN. QUAST