MFA LETTER PRESENTS D'ESCOTO UNGA AGENDA, REQUESTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAGUA 000451 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CEN, INR/IAA DEPT ALSO FOR IO/FO AND IO/UNP DEPT PASS TO USOAS STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID/LAC FOR BATLLE NSC FOR ALVARADO/FISK USUN FOR R. GODARD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL UNGA NU SUBJECT: MFA LETTER PRESENTS D'ESCOTO UNGA AGENDA, REQUESTS USG SUPPORT FOR HIS CANDIDACY REF: A. USUN 134 AND PREVIOUS ¶B. 2007 MANAGUA 2399 ¶C. 2007 MANAGUA 2008 ¶D. 2007 USUN 1196 ¶1. (U) On April 4 we received a letter for the Secretary signed by Foreign Minister Samuel Santos requesting USG support for Miguel D'Escoto Brockman's candidacy for the presidency of the 63rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA),and advising us of his proposed priorities, if elected. An unofficial translation of the letter follows: ¶2. (U) BEGIN TEXT OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE: The Ministry of Foreign Relations Managua, 4 April 2008 MRE/DM-DGO/343/04/08 Her Excellency Madam Condoleezza Rice Secretary of State SIPDIS The United States of America Your Excellency, Madam Secretary: It gives me great satisfaction and pride to write to you to let you know that, on March 14 of this year, the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) at the United Nations, New York, decided by acclamation to endorse father Miguel D'Escoto Brockman of Nicaragua as a candidate for the Presidency of the Sixty-third United Nations General Assembly. For our Government of National Reconciliation and National Unity, headed by President Commander Daniel Ortega Saavedra, this endorsement is an example of solidarity and recognition of the countries in the region for the efforts that Nicaragua has been making in the multilateral arena to promote the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations Charter. Father Miguel D'Escoto plans to strengthen these efforts in the following areas: (1) Strengthen the democratization of the United Nations to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in the General Assembly in accordance with the Charter's purposes and principles. (2) Recovery of multilateralism with the most absolute respect for the Charter, as the only way to approach and resolve current problems within a democratic and transparent process. (3) Promote a greater and more effective relationship between the General Assembly and the International Financial Institutions of Bretton Woods, so that they comply with their objective to maintain the world's financial stability for the benefit of the equitable economic development, against poverty. (4) Contribute to building awareness about the social-economic implications of climate change and promote steps to combat its effects. (5) Strengthen and promote human rights defense including the right to life, the right to development, and right of women to transversal integration in all development plans. For these reasons, I wish to formally invite your illustrious government to support the Latin American and Caribbean Group candidate for the presidency of the 63rd United Nations General Assembly. Your Excellency, you have my highest and most distinguished consideration. (hugs) MANAGUA 00000451 002 OF 002 /s/Samuel Santos Lopez END TEXT OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE ¶3. (U) Post will forward signed original to WHA/CEN via diplomatic pouch. TRIVELLI