AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS UNGA WALKOUT REDLINES

C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 000869 SIPDIS USUN FOR JEFF DELAURENTIS AND JENNIFER SIMON DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNP CHRISTOPHER DEUTSCH, EAP, EAP/ANP E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2019 TAGS: PREL UNGA AS SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS UNGA WALKOUT REDLINES REF: STATE 97566 Classified By: CDA Daniel A. Clune for reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Acting Secretary Gillian Bird told Charge September 21 that she would send reftel points to Prime Minister Rudd and Foreign Minister Smith in New York, but that the walkout redlines are largely in line with standing instructions given to Australian officials who attend events involving Iranian or Libyan speakers. Bird noted that Australia appreciates the coordination as well as the U.S. decision to have more senior representation during UNGA speeches. She said that Australian representatives attending Libyan leader Qaddafi's speech to the African Union, as well as the anniversary of his coup, had instructions to walk out that were more or less comparable to reftel, as did the Australian Ambassador to Iran for Ahmadinejad,s inauguration. ¶2. (C) Bird praised the U.S. reengagement with the UN, noting that FM Smith gave an interview September highlighting the President's decision to participate in the climate change debate and to chair the UNSC Summit on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Bird added that Australia would like the UNSC Summit Statement to make reference to the Australia/Japan Independent International Commission on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) created by PM Rudd. She agreed with Charge that the objection to including such a reference has come from China and Russia. CLUNE