NICARAGUAN PR SEEKS U.S. SUPPORT FOR NICARAGUA'S

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000177 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNGA ICJ CO NU SUBJECT: NICARAGUAN PR SEEKS U.S. SUPPORT FOR NICARAGUA'S ICJ CASE, CANDIDATE FOR GA PRESIDENCY ¶1. BEGIN SUMMARY: Nicaraguan PermRep Chamorro told Amb. Khalilzad on February 25 that Nicaragua welcomes the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) recent decision that it has jurisdiction to hear the maritime and territorial dispute between Nicaragua and Colombia. Asserting that the ICJ had found that the 82nd parallel is not the maritime boundary between Colombia and Nicaragua, Chamorro said Nicaragua would be pleased if the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Nicaragua could patrol that area together. Finally, Chamorro sought to reassure Amb. Khalilzad that Miguel D'Escoto, if elected to the General Assembly Presidency next year, would not use the position for partisan purposes. END SUMMARY. ¶2. Nicaraguan PR Chamorro, accompanied by Nicaraguan Deputy PermRep Castillo, met with Amb. Khalilzad at their request February 25 to discuss the ICJ's December 13 decision in Nicaragua's maritime and boundary dispute with Colombia. Nicaragua seeks support from the P-5 and the Secretary-General in abiding by the ICJ's decision, she said, SIPDIS and to that end the Nicaraguan Foreign Minister discussed the case with the Secretary-General last week. She described the ICJ's decision as favorable, finding that the ICJ has jurisdiction to hear the dispute, as Nicaragua had wanted. Chamorro also said the ICJ had decided that the 82nd line of longitude is not the border between Colombia and Nicaragua, as Colombia argues, and stressed Nicaragua's concerns about drug trafficking around the 82nd parallel. Nicaraguan President Ortega has advised the Department that Nicaragua would be "more than willing" if DEA wanted to conduct joint patrols of the area around the 82nd parallel, she said, and Nicaragua plans to deliver a paper to the Department on the case this week. ¶3. Amb. Khalilzad cautioned that no unilateral decisions should be taken until the ICJ decides the case on the merits. ¶4. Chamorro also sought U.S. support for Miguel D'Escoto, Nicaragua's candidate for President of the General Assembly (PGA). Amb. Khalilzad stressed that the United States views the PGA as an important position that should not be used for partisan purposes or otherwise to score political points, adding that the General Assembly can only be strengthened in an atmosphere of cooperation. Chamorro responded that Nicaragua is aware of U.S. concerns and pledged that Nicaragua would not seek to use the office for partisan purposes, particularly to raise its bilateral objectives vis-a-vis Colombia. ¶5. Chamorro also welcomed the positive remarks about President Ortega's record on free trade and democracy that Under Secretary for Commerce and International Trade Padilla had made last week. KHALILZAD