SAUDIS SUPPORT KAZAKHSTAN OVER SYRIA FOR IAEA

S E C R E T RIYADH 001153 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT PASS TO ISN PMCNERNEY AND NEA/ARP WROEBUCK DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO NPT COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2018 TAGS: AORC IAEA KNNP KZ SA SY SUBJECT: SAUDIS SUPPORT KAZAKHSTAN OVER SYRIA FOR IAEA REF: SECSTATE 77758 Classified By: Charge' d'Affaires Michael Gfoeller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S) Pol Counselor delivered reftel demarche to Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs International Organizations Director Ambassador Saleh Al-Kuhaimi on July 27. Al-Kuhaimi fully concurred that Syria is an unqualified candidate for a seat on the IAEA Board of Governors, outlining a long list of well-known grievances against the Syrians - fomenting instability in Lebanon, support for Hezbollah, allowing foreign fighters to enter Iraq to participate in the insurgency, and its close alliance with Iran. He remarked that it was indeed a conflict of interest for Syria to be on the IAEA Board of Governors while under IAEA investigation. ¶2. (S) Al-Kuhaimi agreed Kazakhstan was a much better candidate for the IAEA slot, especially as it had never been on the Board of Governors. He asserted that the USG message made sense. While he was not authorized to commit to a decision, Al-Kuhaimi assured he would immediately pass the USG position to his superiors, including Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal (who is traveling in France and Morocco until mid-August),with the recommendation to support Kazakhstan over Syria for the IAEA Board of Governors. GFOELLER