(C) ARGENTINA: EMBASSY RECOMMENDS THANKING FM

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 000775 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2019 TAGS: PREL PARM KNNP IAEA AR SUBJECT: (C) ARGENTINA: EMBASSY RECOMMENDS THANKING FM TAIANA FOR ARGENTINE ABSTENTION ON IAEA VOTE REF: A. STATE 56783 ¶B. BUENOS AIRES 0762 Classified By: CDA Tom Kelly for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) Action Request for Department in paragraph three. ¶2. (C) Following the decision by the GOA on July 1 (ref B) to offer an abstention in the fifth round of voting for IAEA DG candidate Amano, Political Counselor received a call July 2 from Japanese Embassy First Secretary Kenya Uno to express his Embassy's appreciation for our efforts and to report that the Argentine MFA had also informed them of its decision to shift to an abstention. Communications from U.S. Mission UNVIE also appear to confirm the abstention was crucial, as it allowed Amano to win with 23 votes. ¶3. (C) Action Request for Department: Embassy urges a prompt call by high-level Department official to Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana, who remains in Washington for emergency OAS meetings related to the Honduras situation. Per ref B, Taiana conveyed to us that Argentina had made the change "in deference to the Secretary of State's request" in her June 26 phone call to him. We believe that Argentina acted on its promise to us and provided the crucial vote to resolve the prolonged IAEA DG race. They did so in direct response to U.S. encouragement and with the clear understanding that we would view this as an effort by the GOA to demonstrate a new willingness to collaborate. An expression of thanks to Taiana will help us sustain this momentum. KELLY