CZECH ATTENDANCE AT THE 64TH UNGA

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000455 SENSITIVE SIPDIS EUR/CE FOR CPIERANGELO AND JBERGEMANN, IO/UNP FOR SUN, EUR/PGI JELDRIDGE, USUN FOR DUGAN, NSC FOR BROWN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV OTRA OVIP KSEP CVIS UNGA EZ EUN SUBJECT: CZECH ATTENDANCE AT THE 64TH UNGA REF: A. PRAGUE 395 ¶B. 7.27.09 PRAGUE DAILY ¶1. (SBU) As an update to Ref A, Czech MFA Department of the Americas official Marketa Balkova informed emboff August 5 that currently the plan is for five MFA officials to accompany Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout to the UNGA. The Czech officials traveling with FM Kohout are: Czech Political Director Ivo Sramek (formerly the Czech Political and Security Committee Ambassador in Brussels),UN Department Director Katerina Sequensova, Common Foreign and Security Policy Department Director Jaroslav Kurfurst (formerly DCM at the Czech Embassy in Washington),MFA Spokesman Milan Repka and MFA Cabinet officer David Cervenka. ¶2. (SBU) This is in addition to Head of State, President Vaclav Klaus, who will lead the Czech delegation and attend the 64th UNGA because he intends to speak at the September 22 all-day event UN SecGen Moon will host on climate change for Heads of Government and Heads of State (Ref B). In response to emboff query about President Klaus's delegation, Balkova noted it will be "many," and that the composition of this delegation is unlikely to be provided by the President's office before September. (Note: In 2007 Klaus, a vocal climate change skeptic, gave a speech before the UNGA expressing doubts about whether climate change was man-made. As President, Klaus's role is largely ceremonial and Czech policy is set by the government. The Czech government does not support Klaus's views on climate change. End Note.) The Head of Government, Prime Minister Jan Fischer, is not plQing to travel to UNGA. ¶3. (U) As noted in Ref A, the exact dates of travel have not been established, nor whether spouses will accompany. The MFA simply has been informed that President Klaus intends to attend 2-3 days of the UNGA, while the Foreign Minister currently plans to attend the majority of the UNGA events and meetings. Thompson-Jones