ETHIOPIA ON COUNTRY-SPECIFIC UNGA RESOLUTIONS:

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 002720 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DRL-MLGA, IO-RHS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL UNGA ET SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA ON COUNTRY-SPECIFIC UNGA RESOLUTIONS: DEFAULT MODE IS ABSTENTIONS REF: SECSTATE 116265 ¶1. (SBU) Ambassador Grum Abay, chief of MFA's Directorate of International Organizations, told pol/econ counselor and deputy on November 17 that the ministry has not instructed the Ethiopian Mission to the United Nations how to vote on any of the three country-specific UNGA resolutions or their related no-action motions. On the Iran votes, Grum said Ethiopia's New York mission had been instructed to seriously consider the U.S. and Canadian positions, Canada having demarched Grum earlier this week. He said he would call the Ethiopian PermRep today to again convery U.S. resolve. He said MFA is giving the New York mission discretion to react to changes in the text and other pertinent developments. He admitted, however, that blanket guidance had been delivered at the beginning of UNGA that reminded the mission that Ethiopia had abstained on these three country-specific votes last year. ¶2. (SBU) On Burma, Grum said only, "That's a long way away for us." On North Korea, he said he doubted that Ethiopia's minimal relations with DPRK would be a significant factor in the New York mission's deliberations. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT. Grum's contention that Ethiopia's UN mission has discretion on how to vote on these matters is a bit disingenuous. The blanket guidance delivered to the Ethiopian UNGA team creates at least an expectation for this year's votes. We doubt the New York Ethiopians will seriously consider any vote but abstentions on Burma and DPRK. On Iran, however, MFA and Ethiopia's New York office are in communication and a combination of U.S. and Canadian pressure, along with the prospect of a close vote, could ease Ethiopia's move into the "no" on no-action and "yes" on the resolution columns. END COMMENT. MEECE