CANADA SUPPORTIVE OF E3 PLUS 3 PROCESS ON IRAN

S E C R E T OTTAWA 000290 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2019 TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP MNUC IR CA SUBJECT: CANADA SUPPORTIVE OF E3 PLUS 3 PROCESS ON IRAN REF: STATE 36335 Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S) In a meeting on April 15 with Director General for the Middle East and Maghreb Kerry Buck of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, PolMinCouns delivered reftel demarche and urged Canada's efforts to persuade Iran to seize this opportunity. Ms. Buck welcomed the news and voiced Canada's strong support for the E3 Plus 3 process. She noted that Canadian-Iranian relations had warmed somewhat in recent months, which might indeed give Canada a better chance to weigh in constructively with the Iranians. She promised to share with Embassy any feedback from Teheran. ¶2. (S) Buck pointed to public comments by Iranian Vice President Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie while on a "private" visit to Ottawa in mid-March calling for a return to Ambassadorial-level diplomatic relations, which have been at the Charge d'Affaires-level since the expulsion of Canadian Ambassador John Mundy in December 2007 and two failed Iranian requests for agrement for a new Ambassador in Canada. ¶3. (S) Ms. Buck was not optimistic about prospects for a public statement, which in the Canadian context could come only be at the Ministerial (political) level. She added that examples of ministerial statements from other capitals might be helpful in this regard. She underscored that Canada would continue to be supportive in multi-lateral settings. Visit Canada,s North American partnership community at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / BREESE