RUSSIA REQUESTS DELAY IN VOTE ON UNSC RESOLUTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 001965

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2018
TAGS: PREL UNSC ZI RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA REQUESTS DELAY IN VOTE ON UNSC RESOLUTION
ON ZIMBABWE

REF: A. STATE 73173

B. MOSCOW 1928

Classified By: Ambassador John R. Beyrle. Reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) We delivered reftel demarche to MFA International
Organizations Director Gennadiy Gatilov and Counselor Vitaliy
Liplinskiy July 9. They expressed concern at the information
that the U.S. intended to seek a vote on the resolution on
July 9, noting that Russian UN Ambassador Churkin had
requested a delay in the vote until July 11 to allow FM
Lavrov to speak about the issue with President Medvedev.
Shortly thereafter, Ambassador received a call from MFA North
America Acting Director Sofinskiy "at the direct request of
Minister Lavrov." Sofinskiy said Lavrov,s understanding was
that the US planned to initiate discussion of Zimbabwe in the
UNSC on July 10 with a view to seeking agreement on a
sanctions package. Sofinskiy conveyed Lavrov's request that
the discussion be postponed for 2-3 days until the Russian
side had time for "necessary internal coordination," i.e.,
that they would not be able to brief Medvedev and obtain his
approval of the Russian position until he returned to Moscow,
which meant not before July 11. If the U.S. insisted on
going ahead with this discussion without waiting, Lavrov,s
message was that we would end up having a "heated argument"
that was in no one's interest. Sofinskiy said Churkin would
be instructed to make the same request in New York, but he
stressed that this was Lavrov,s direct request, and that it
was tied to the need to discuss the issue with Medvedev.


2. (C) The MFA asked that we inform them as soon as possible
if we intended to seek a vote on the resolution in the next
two days.
BEYRLE