DEMARCHE REQUEST ON NATO MEMBERS AND ASPIRING

UNCLAS STATE 080088 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: NATO PREL PHUM PTER IR SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST ON NATO MEMBERS AND ASPIRING MEMBERS' PARTICIPATION IN NAM MINSTERIAL REF: STATE 74879 ¶1. (SBU) The department requests that action addressees pursue the following objectives with regard to host government's potential attendance at the upcoming Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Foreign Ministers meeting in Tehran, July 27-30, 2008. Posts should: -- Determine from host governments whether they have any plans to attend, whether if as observers or as guests, and strongly discourage host governments from attending. -- If host governments have taken a firm decision to attend, urge them to avoid any appearance of supporting Iran's failure to comply with its NPT, IAEA, and UNSC obligations with respect to its nuclear program and more generally NAM positions at odds with interests of the NATO alliance. -- Urge host governments that will participate in the meeting and that have officially recognized Kosovo to lobby other states to recognize Kosovo as soon as possible. ¶2. (U) Posts may use their discretion in delivering this demarche if they understand that host government has no plans to attend the NAM ministerial. Point of Contact -------------- ¶3. (U) Department point of contact for this issue is John Mariz, IO/UNP, 202 647-0048. Background and Talking Points -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The NAM Foreign Minister's meeting is scheduled to take place 27-30 July 2008 in Tehran, Iran. NAM positions are often opposed to U.S. policies and interests and more broadly to NATO members' policies and interests. The draft final document prepared in advance of this meeting contains objectionable language on the Middle East, terrorism, religious freedom, and human rights, among other topics. NATO members or states that seek NATO membership should understand that they are indeed "aligned," and that their attendance, particularly at senior levels, is inappropriate and sends the wrong message to the international community and to their own publics. We are particularly concerned regarding attendance of this meeting in light of Iran's aim to enlist continued NAM support for its attempts to defeat international efforts to halt its attempts to develop a nuclear warhead. ¶5. (U) Posts may draw on the following points in making this demarche to host governments. Posts may also draw guidance from reftel, which goes into detail regarding Iran's attempts to enlist NAM support for its nuclear program. -- As an ally, we urge you not to participate in this meeting, as NAM positions often run counter to the interests of NATO. -- Attending this meeting in Tehran signals the wrong message to the Government of Iran at a time when we are seeking to maintain international unity and increase pressure on Iran to comply with its Non-Proliferation Treaty, International Atomic Energy Agency, and UN Security Council obligations. -- If you do participate, we urge you to avoid any actions that would imply support for the Government of Iran. -- (For states that have recognized Kosovo) We also urge you to use the opportunity to advocate for other states to recognize Kosovo. RICE