UN GENERAL DEBATE: INDIA, GERMANY, ITALY AND

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000882

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV AORC UNGA BP MT IN HR TV MO BB
IC, FJ, DO, TN, ST, GV, GJ, LU, GM, IT, LO, SO, AO
SUBJECT: UN GENERAL DEBATE: INDIA, GERMANY, ITALY AND
OTHERS SPEAK


1. SUMMARY: Speakers at the UN General Debate the afternoon
of September 26 continued discussion of the energy, food, and
financial crises; climate change; and UN reform. India
focused on nuclear issues, support for Afghanistan, and its
intent to resolve issues with Pakistan. Germany and Italy
stood firm against Iranian actions and anti-Israeli rhetoric.
Some countries warned against reintroducing "Cold War
rivalry." Others, including Morocco, called for resolving
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Morocco encouraged
dialogue and reconciliation in Iraq. Smaller, conflict-prone
states spoke against the proliferation of small arms.
Disturbingly, Fiji stated that it was "not able to schedule
an election" to return to parliamentary democracy. Speakers
included: Solomon Islands, India, Croatia, Tuvalu, Morocco,
Barbados, Iceland, Fiji, Dominican Republic, Tonga, Saint
Lucia, Republic of Guinea, Luxemburg, Grenada, Germany,
Italy, Slovakia, Somalia, and Angola. Video and texts are
available at www.un.org/ga/63/generaldebate. END SUMMARY.

HIGHLIGHTS
--------------


2. Iran: Germany reiterated that "An armed Iran with nuclear
weapons would pose a threat to security....Therefore, Iran
must put its cards on the table. We have made our offer.
The Iranian side's delaying tactics must not exhaust the
patience of the international community. We expect a clear
signal from Iran indicating its willingness to comply with
the international community's demands and build confidence."
Italy joined in, emphasizing the importance of strengthening
the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The western Europeans
condemned Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's comments
calling for the destruction of Israel.


3. Georgia: Croatia welcomed the European Union's August
2008 "six-point agreement," and warned that failure to
address issues multilaterally could lead to "old paradigms of
confrontation" and compromise "democratic gains" achieved
after the Cold War. Luxemburg called for resolution "on
principles of independence, sovereignty and territorial
integrity." Germany said it stood firm on Georgian borders,
and announced that the EU Observer Mission will forward a
comprehensive strategy in October. Slovakia cautioned that
unresolved disputes nurture extremism and hailed the
importance of a "European and transatlantic perspective."


4. Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Morocco expressed support
for the "Road Map" and "Arab Peace Initiative;" and called
for an end to "projects that are taking place around the Al
Aqsa Mosque and other parts of Jerusalem." Malta and the
Solomon Islands praised Turkey's facilitation of the indirect
Israeli-Syrian negotiations, and expressed support for the
Annapolis Conference and continued Israeli-Palestinian
negotiations. Guinea urged the creation of a Palestinian
state.


5. Burma, Cuba, and Venezuela: Croatia raised the need to
alleviate the suffering of the Burmese people. On Cuba, the
Solomon Islands noted it as "a new partner" and its providing
"medical training opportunities" to youth. Grenada,
identifying itself as "a friend of both the United States and
Cuba," was joined by Angola in calling for an end to the
embargo, and thanked Venezuela for subsidized oil.


6. South Asia: Singh highlighted India's "impeccable" record
on non-proliferation, reconfirmed its commitment to
disarmament, and reiterated its proposal for a Nuclear
Weapons Convention. Singh called Afghanistan "a deep
concern" and called on the international community to ensure
the success of reconstruction and democratization. On
Pakistan, he said: "We welcome the return of democracy," and
"are committed to resolving outstanding
issues...including...Jammu and Kashmir." FM Steinmeier of
Germany said "Pakistan's internal stability is crucial to the
stability of the entire region."


7. Security Council: Luxemburg announced its candidacy for
2013-2014. St. Lucia called for a permanent seat for Africa,
and stated that selection criteria should be based on
adherence to UN Charter principles. Tonga gave explicit
support for a permanent UNSC seat for Japan. Germany
declared that it is "prepared to shoulder more
responsibility." Slovakia supports permanent seats for
Japan, Brazil, India and Africa; as well as a non-permanent
seat for eastern Europe.
Khalilzad