COSTA RICA ENDORSES UNSC RESOLUTION 1803

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN JOSE 000181 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN, ISN/RA:RNEPHEW AND IO/T:HVONBEHREN E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2018 TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM IR IAEA CS SUBJECT: COSTA RICA ENDORSES UNSC RESOLUTION 1803 REF: A. STATE 19200 ¶B. STATE 19694 ¶C. STATE 21770 Classified By: ADCM David E. Henifin per 1.4 (d). ¶1. (U) On March 4 we met with Alejandro Solano-Ortiz, alternate Director General of the Foreign Policy Office of the MFA, Raldolph Coto, Coordinator of the Foreign Policy Office of the MFA, and with Juan Salas, of the MFA UNSC desk to deliver the full text of the resolution and to seek their views in the subject. ¶2. (C) Coto and Salas explained that as a member of the UNSC and supporter of the UNSC resolution 1803, the GOCR is well versed on the scope of Resolution 1803 and fully aware of all of its implications. The GOCR, Salas added, shares the USG concerns and views on the IAEA report (Refs A and B) and saw the resolution as drastic but meaningful tool to obtain compliance on the part of Iran to ensure that its nuclear program is strictly intended for peaceful purposes. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: There was no mention of "even-handed" non-proliferation treatment of Pakistan and Iran, as we had heard in previous (and higher-level) MFA conversations on this issue, nor concerns expressed about being seen as "doing the right thing." Also, Israeli colleagues here told us on February 26 that the MFA seemed very receptive to their demarche on UNSCR 1803, and in fact was soliciting ideas on how Costa Rica could be helpful on Iran. In our view, this is good news. BRENNAN