SWITZERLAND'S VOTING PLAN IN IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERN 000213 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2019 TAGS: SZ IAEA KNNP AORC PREL SUBJECT: SWITZERLAND'S VOTING PLAN IN IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL ELECTION REF: SECSTATE 46302 Classified By: POLE Counselor Richard Rorvig; reasQs 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) Director for Arms Control and Disarmament, Andreas Friedrich, told poloff on May 11 in response to reftel demarche that Switzerland would most likely support the election of Yukiya Amano of Japan as Director General in the upcoming IAEA elections. Friedrich said that his recent discussions with Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey indicated that Swizerland would be "putting its money" on Amano. However, Friedrich added that the GOS thinks Amano might not win the new round of DG elections, given the entrance of Western European candidates in the second round of voting. CARTER