LIBERIA'S RESPONSE TO IMO CANDIDACY DEMARCHE

UNCLAS MONROVIA 000799 SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/T: THOMAS A JOHNSON AND AF/W LONDON FOR EST: J WHITTELSEY USCG FOR CG-52 AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC EWWT PHSA UK LI SUBJECT: LIBERIA'S RESPONSE TO IMO CANDIDACY DEMARCHE REF: A) STATE 98012 B) MONROVIA 731 ¶1. Following is the text of a dipnote dated October 5 and received at U.S. Embassy Monrovia on October 27, 2009 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responding to our note of October 5 on the U.S. candidacy for the IMO. The note repeats Bureau of Maritime Affairs (BMA) Chairman Kessely's response to our demarche (Ref B) that Liberia will support the U.S. candidate if the USG supports the Liberian candidate. ¶2. BEGIN TEXT RL/MFA/1627/2-5/'09 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America and has the honour to refer to the latter's Diplomatic Note No. 134/09, dated 5 October 2009, soliciting the support of the Government of the Republic of Liberia for the candidature of the Government of the United States of America, for re-election category "A" membership on the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO),under the provisions of Article 17 (A) of the IMO Convention, at the elections of the IMO Council, to be held during the 26th Regular Session of the IMO Assembly from 23rd November to 4th December ¶2009. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pleased to advise that the Government of the Republic of Liberia accepts the request of the Government of the United States and proposes a reciprocal arrangement whereby, the Government of the Republic of Liberia would support the candidature of the Government of the United States in Category "A", with the understanding that the Government of the United States would support the candidature of the Government of the Republic of Liberia in Category "A" at the same elections, which would further help strengthen the cordial relations existing between the Government of the United States and the Government of the Republic of Liberia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would further like to take note of this arrangement and therefore looks forward to the mutual exchange of votes between our two countries during the IMO Council elections. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America, the assurances of its highest consideration. END TEXT THOMAS-GREENFIELD