CANADA TO SUPPORT AMBASSADOR SWING FOR IOM

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000473 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2018 TAGS: PREL PREF PHUM CA SUBJECT: CANADA TO SUPPORT AMBASSADOR SWING FOR IOM Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Ross O'Connor, Chief of Staff to Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier, confirmed to PolMinCouns on April 8 that Canada would support the U.S. candidate for the next Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM),Ambassador William Swing. He admitted that there had been some misunderstandings in various capitals that CANADA was behind the candidacy of Canadian citizen Sergio Marchi, but he emphasized that CANADA would not/not support Marchi as its candidate. ¶2. (SBU) Embassy looks forward to welcoming Ambassador Swing to Ottawa on April 14, unless this development causes him to cancel the visit. Embassy believes it would still be useful to have the face-to-face contact with senior officials from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and encourages keeping the trip on Ambassador Swing's itinerary. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada WILKINS