CANADA TO SKIP IRAN SPEECH AT UNGA, NO FORMAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000743 SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/UNP DEUTSCH USUN FOR SIMON E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2014 TAGS: PREL UNGA IR CA SUBJECT: CANADA TO SKIP IRAN SPEECH AT UNGA, NO FORMAL REDLINES REF: STATE 97566 Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's United Nations and Commonwealth Affairs Division Director Patrick Wittmann, Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon has instructed the Canadian delegation not to send a representative to the speech by Iran at the UN General Assembly this year. Canada will determine on a "case by case basis" whether to attend or boycott other speeches such as by Libya, he added. He insisted that Canada had a very "low tolerance" for hate-inspired or inflammatory speech and that Canada's views on possible redlines were "consistent" with those of the U.S. However, he confirmed that Canada had not developed specific redlines of its own. He noted that DFAIT Director General for International Organizations David Angell (to whom PolMinCouns had delivered reftel demarche on September 21) was now in New York with FM Cannon, if the U.S. delegation wished to reach out to him directly. Angell confirmed to PolMinCouns on September 22 that he planned further to consult with colleagues at the Canadian permanent mission about the U.S. redlines and new U.S. strategy by COB September 22. Visit Canada,s North American partnership community at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / BREESE