Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08NEWDELHI54
2008-01-08 11:17:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
DEMARCHE ON SUPPORTING ASPIRATIONS OF THE SYRIAN
how-toVZCZCXRO6751 OO RUEHAG RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV DE RUEHNE #0054 0081117 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 081117Z JAN 08 FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9927 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1311 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0065 RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0260 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0695 RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0615 RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0051 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5464
C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 000054
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/PI SENIOR ADVISOR OWEN KIRBY AND NEA/ELA
SYRIA DESK OFFICER ALLISON MONZ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/07/2018
TAGS: PREL XF XG KMPI NSC SY EUN TU CA JA SF IN
CI, AR
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON SUPPORTING ASPIRATIONS OF THE SYRIAN
NATIONAL COUNCIL DELIVERED TO THE GOI
REF: SECSTATE 171106
Classified By: A/DCM Ted Osius for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 000054
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/PI SENIOR ADVISOR OWEN KIRBY AND NEA/ELA
SYRIA DESK OFFICER ALLISON MONZ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/07/2018
TAGS: PREL XF XG KMPI NSC SY EUN TU CA JA SF IN
CI, AR
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON SUPPORTING ASPIRATIONS OF THE SYRIAN
NATIONAL COUNCIL DELIVERED TO THE GOI
REF: SECSTATE 171106
Classified By: A/DCM Ted Osius for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1. (C) A/DCM delivered reftel demarche to MEA Joint
Secretary (West Asia and North Africa) M. Manimekalai and
SIPDIS
Director (WANA) N.J. Gangte on January 7, and expressed USG
desire that the GOI make public statements in support of
the Syrian democracy and human rights activists who formed
the Damascus Declaration National Council and to urge the
Syrian Government to release prisoners of conscience,
including members of the National Council.
2. (C) Gangte acknowledged that his sources inside Syria
kept him apprised of the activities of the pro-democracy
movement and its challenge to push Syria towards democratic
governance and "away from the hereditary, autocratic rule
of one family." He said the GOI strove to "keep all lines
of communication open," alluding to its policy of avoiding
public criticism of any country. Gangte noted that the GOI
maintains open channels of communication with the Israelis,
the Palestinians and the Syrians. He noted that the Syrian
Foreign Minister visited India in 2007, and that in
mid-January the Syrian Deputy Prime Minister for Economic
Affairs and Indian Minister of Commerce Kamal Nath would be
meeting for a regularly schedule bilateral Joint Commission
on Trade. A/DCM stated the USG wish that the GOI would
capitalize on its communications with the Government of
Syria to nudge it towards a more productive direction.
-- GOI PRAISE FOR ANNAPOLIS CONFERENCE --
3. (C) Separately, Manimekalai praised the Bush
administration for instigating and organizing the Annapolis
conference, calling it "an important development," and
cited as a positive sign that the USG was successful in
getting so many of the key players to sit down and talk to
one another, adding that the international community must
keep the momentum going on Israeli-Palestinian dialogue and
reconciliation.
WHITE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/PI SENIOR ADVISOR OWEN KIRBY AND NEA/ELA
SYRIA DESK OFFICER ALLISON MONZ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/07/2018
TAGS: PREL XF XG KMPI NSC SY EUN TU CA JA SF IN
CI, AR
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON SUPPORTING ASPIRATIONS OF THE SYRIAN
NATIONAL COUNCIL DELIVERED TO THE GOI
REF: SECSTATE 171106
Classified By: A/DCM Ted Osius for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1. (C) A/DCM delivered reftel demarche to MEA Joint
Secretary (West Asia and North Africa) M. Manimekalai and
SIPDIS
Director (WANA) N.J. Gangte on January 7, and expressed USG
desire that the GOI make public statements in support of
the Syrian democracy and human rights activists who formed
the Damascus Declaration National Council and to urge the
Syrian Government to release prisoners of conscience,
including members of the National Council.
2. (C) Gangte acknowledged that his sources inside Syria
kept him apprised of the activities of the pro-democracy
movement and its challenge to push Syria towards democratic
governance and "away from the hereditary, autocratic rule
of one family." He said the GOI strove to "keep all lines
of communication open," alluding to its policy of avoiding
public criticism of any country. Gangte noted that the GOI
maintains open channels of communication with the Israelis,
the Palestinians and the Syrians. He noted that the Syrian
Foreign Minister visited India in 2007, and that in
mid-January the Syrian Deputy Prime Minister for Economic
Affairs and Indian Minister of Commerce Kamal Nath would be
meeting for a regularly schedule bilateral Joint Commission
on Trade. A/DCM stated the USG wish that the GOI would
capitalize on its communications with the Government of
Syria to nudge it towards a more productive direction.
-- GOI PRAISE FOR ANNAPOLIS CONFERENCE --
3. (C) Separately, Manimekalai praised the Bush
administration for instigating and organizing the Annapolis
conference, calling it "an important development," and
cited as a positive sign that the USG was successful in
getting so many of the key players to sit down and talk to
one another, adding that the international community must
keep the momentum going on Israeli-Palestinian dialogue and
reconciliation.
WHITE