LATVIA: NO POSITION ON IRENA HEADQUARTERS, BUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000340 STATE FOR EEB/ESC (MONOSSON),OES/EGC (THOMPSON),AND IO/EDA (WEBBER) E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/17/2019 TAGS: ENRG SENV KGHG LG SUBJECT: LATVIA: NO POSITION ON IRENA HEADQUARTERS, BUT SUPPORT FOR UAE LIKELY REF: STATE 61286 Classified By: CDA Bruce Rogers for reason 1.4(b) (C) Latvia has not officially established a position on the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA),but working-level contacts expressed support for the UAE candidacy. PolOff delivered reftel demarche to Inese Birgele, Head of the MFA International Trade and Economics division, and Andris Kuznieks, head of the Ministry of Economy Energy Division. Both contacts reported that the Cabinet of Ministers had delayed deciding on an official position on both the headquarters location and Director General candidates. Kuznieks, however, indicated that working level staff had submitted their recommendation, and they found the UAE proposal "very strong." He also echoed several of the reftel points on the advantages of the UAE bid. Both contacts expressed agreement with USG goals for IRENA. Neither had any information on when Latvia might ratify the Statute. ROGERS