MEXICO ON INCREASE IN IAEA BUDGET

UNCLAS MEXICO 001631 SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/MPR (LISA SPRATT) AND IO/T (JIM DETEMPLE) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC ENRG IAEA KNNP PREL UN MX SUBJECT: MEXICO ON INCREASE IN IAEA BUDGET REF: STATE 57105 ¶1. Poloff conveyed points June 10 advocating an increase in the budget of the International Atomic Energy Agency (reftel) to Julian Juarez Cadenas, the Deputy Director General for UN-Related Security and Legal Issues at the Foreign Relations Secretariat (SRE). Juarez said that Mexico, as a member of the United Nations Geneva Group of 20 states, believes that international organizations like the IAEA should look for savings and efficiencies to balance its budget. He noted that Mexico still owes money to the IAEA on its 2008 dues. While the Government of Mexico (GOM) objects to an increase in the IAEA budget, Juarez insisted it continues to support its mission completely. ¶2. The GOM recently conducted an internal review of all GOM voluntary contributions to and membership in international organizations as mandated by President Calderon in December 2006 and again in May 2008. The criteria was whether contributions were of some benefit to Mexico, which Juarez maintained was the tenth largest contributor to the United Nations. Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / WILLIARD