BOTSWANA: HCOC DEMARCHE REPLY

UNCLAS GABORONE 000445 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR ISN/MTR JOHN PAUL HERRMANN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MTCRE PREL MNUC KSCA ETTC TSPA BC SUBJECT: BOTSWANA: HCOC DEMARCHE REPLY REF: STATE 44998 ¶1. (SBU) PolOff met with the Director of the Department of Multilateral Affairs in the Botswana Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mmamosadinyana Punkie Josephine Molefe May 22. PolOff discussed the Hague Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation ("HCOC") and urged the GOB to consider subscribing to the HCOC. The Director had questions about what types of commitments this would require Botswana to make and PolOff reiterated points made in Reftel. Director Molefe was especially interested in the number of African countries that had already signed onto the HCOC. ¶2. (SBU) Director Molefe said that she could not comment on the likelihood of Botswana subscribing to the convention, but promised that she would ensure that all interested parties within the GOB are informed of our demarche. ¶3. (SBU) PolOff followed up with a subsequent telephone call to Director Molefe, who said that the information provided by the Embassy (nonpaper, text of HCOC, list of countries who have subscribed and example of Note Verbale) were given to all stakeholders within the GOB. She said that no decision had been made and that as numerous Ministries would need to weigh-in on this decision, that a decision was unlikely in the near future. Post will continue to follow up and report septel any new developments. NOLAN