Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ROME1587
2008-12-29 16:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:
ITALY SHARES CONCERN OVER HOSNI CANDIDACY FOR
how-toVZCZCXRO6125 OO RUEHKW DE RUEHRO #1587 3641600 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 291600Z DEC 08 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1393 INFO RUCNMUC/EU CANDIDATE STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0946 RUEHFR/UNESCO PARIS FR PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001587
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNESCO KELLY SIEKMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/29/2018
TAGS: PREL UNESCO IT
SUBJECT: ITALY SHARES CONCERN OVER HOSNI CANDIDACY FOR
UNESCO DG
REF: STATE 130916
Classified By: PolMil Counselor Liam Wasley for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
.
(C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche to MFA UNESCO Office
Director Barbara Bregato December 24, sharing USG concerns
about the candidacy of Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosni
for the post of UNESCO director general. Bregato said Italy
agreed that Hosni was a problematic candidate, and was
particularly shocked by his advocacy of the burning of
Israeli books. She said that since the withdrawal of
Moroccan candidate Aziza Bennani in deference to Hosni, she
was only aware of candidates from Bulgaria and Lithuania.
which she worried may cause division within the EU. She was
particularly concerned by ref point on the risk that Hosni's
election could cause the U.S. to reconsider its 2004 decision
to return to UNESCO, which she said would be a serious blow
to the organization, and said she would pass this information
to the office of FM Frattini.
DIBBLE