RUSSIA'S CANDIDACY FOR RE-ELECTION TO UN HUMAN

UNCLAS MOSCOW 000280 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/RUS, IO/UNP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM PINR RS SUBJECT: RUSSIA'S CANDIDACY FOR RE-ELECTION TO UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ¶1. (SBU) U.S. Embassy Moscow has received a diplomatic note dated February 2 requesting U.S. support for Russia's reelection to the UN Human Rights Council UNHRC) for a second three-year term. The note pointed out that the five permanent members of the Security Council generally support each other's candidacies in UN bodies of limited membership, such as the UNHRC. Attached to the note was a memorandum in support of the GOR's candidacy (scanned and sent separately to EUR/RUS). ¶2. (SBU) Text of Diplomatic Note (Russian MFA translation): No. 787 The Department for Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America in Moscow and has the honor to remind it that the Government of the Russian Federation has promoted the candidacy of Russia to be reelected to the UN Human Rights Council for a second three-year period (2009-2012). The Russian side counts on, given the gentlemen's agreement among the permanent members of the UN Security Council on their mutual support of each other's candidacies in UN bodies of limited membership, that the Government of the United States of America will support the candidacy of the Russian Federation in the election to the UN Human Rights Council that will take place in May of 2009 at the UN General Assembly session. The Department also has the honor to forward a Memorandum on the nomination of the Russian Federation as a candidate to the UN Human Rights Council in 2009. The Department for Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights of the Ministry avails itself of this opportunity to extend to the Embassy renewed assurances of its fairly high consideration. Moscow, February 2, 2009 TO THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Moscow End of text of diplomatic note. BEYRLE