BULGARIA ON WIPO DIRECTOR GENERAL ELECTION

UNCLAS SOFIA 000291 SENSITIVE SIPDIS GENEVA FOR US MISSION GENEVA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC WIPO KIPR PREL ETRD BU SUBJECT: BULGARIA ON WIPO DIRECTOR GENERAL ELECTION REF: SECSTATE 47560 ¶1. (SBU) Econoff delivered reftel points on the upcoming WIPO director general elections to Kamen Velichkov, Head of the UN and Global Issues Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (which has the lead on WIPO issues) May 9. Bulgaria will support an East European candidate in the first round of voting, although, in Velichkov's opinion, the East European candidates have little hope of ultimately being elected. In subsequent voting rounds, Bulgaria will likely support European candidates, but Bulgaria has not yet decided which candidate it will support. Velichkov welcomed U.S. views on the candidates and said the U.S. priority list would be especially helpful after the first round of voting. Velichkov expects "a long, drawn-out" voting process. Beyrle