HUNGARY ON IMO AND CANDIDATES FOR INT'L

UNCLAS BUDAPEST 000716 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/T TJOHNSON, EUR/CE JMORE; LONDON FOR EST JWHITTLESEY; COMDT COGARD FOR CG-52 AND INT'L AFFAIRS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC EWWT PHSA PREL HU SUBJECT: HUNGARY ON IMO AND CANDIDATES FOR INT'L ORGANIZATIONS REF: SECSTATE 98012 ¶1. (U) On September 24, Econoff delivered reftel demarche advocating U.S. re-election to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council in "Category A" to Andrea Balog of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' International Organizations division, whose unit is responsible for candidates for international organizations. ¶2. (SBU) Balog expressed appreciation for the information, and noted that the GOH would consider the request. She also noted that Hungary is seeking re-election of a candidate, Mr. Istvan Posta, to the Joint Inspection Unit in Geneva (part of the Eastern European Group). She added that her Mission in New York contacted her to let her know the U.S. is also advocating for the selection of Ms. Lucretia Meyers to the UN International Civil Service Commission. Balog suggested that it might be possible for Hungary to support one or more of the U.S. candidates in exchange for support of Hungary's Joint Inspection Unit candidate. ¶3. (SBU) We replied that we would make sure appropriate Washington agencies were aware of Hungary's candidacy for the Joint Inspection Unit, but expressed the view that candidates should be considered independently on their merits and that an agreement to support one candidate in exchange for support of another candidate from a different organization would be both difficult to implement (given the different agencies involved),and would not take into account the experience and qualifications of the candidates. LEVINE