C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 002434

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2018
TAGS: PGOV, PK, PREL, IR, KNNP, MNUC, PARM, TRGY, IAEA
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN TO REMAIN "BALANCED" ON IRAN WITHIN NAM

REF: STATE 74879

Classified By: Anne W. Patterson, Reasons 1.4 (b), (d)

(C) On July 17, Poloff delivered reftel points to Kamran
Akhtar, Director of Disarmament for the MFA, urging
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries to prevent the NAM
Foreign Ministers from expressing further support for Iran's
defiance of IAEA obligations. Akhtar noted the concern that
he has heard from both EU missions and the U.S. on Iran's
nuclear activities and said that Pakistan's position is to
remain balanced on this issue. Pakistan believes that Iran
has the right to have a safe, legal nuclear program but that
it should also fulfill any and all international obligations
set forth for such a program. He also noted that from his
recollection, the NAM has never issued statements in favor of
Iran and its current activities. He told Poloff that he
would pass this request along to higher levels and would pass
along any reactions.

PATTERSON