CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT (CD): PAKISTAN SHOULD

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 082567 SIPDIS GENEVA FOR CD DEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2009 TAGS: KNNP PREL MNUC PK UK CDG SUBJECT: CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT (CD): PAKISTAN SHOULD STOP BLOCKING WORK REF: A. A) STATE 77710 ¶B. B) ISLAMABAD 1753 ¶C. C) LONDON 1725 Classified By: Acting DAS for ISN Eliot Kang. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 1.(U) this is an action message. Objective -------------- 2.(SBU) Support UK demarche in Islamabad, urging Pakistan to join consensus on the procedures that would permit the Conference on Disarmament (CD) to begin substantive consideration of all items of its work program. Embassy Islamabad may draw on substantive points in ref A. ¶3. (SBU) CD del may inform UK that we are instructing Embassy Islamabad to join in this action. We are also making the case in Washington. Background -------------- ¶4. (C) Despite demarches by United States and others (reftels),Pakistan remains unwilling to support consensus adoption of the procedural arrangements proposed by the current CD chair, Australian Ambassador Caroline Millar. Following the August 7 CD session at which Pakistan reported that it lacked instructions permitting it to support the consensus, the Pakistani CD representative, Ambassador Zamir Akram, recommended to the UK CD Ambassador John Duncan that the UK should make a demarche in Islamabad at the Foreign Minister or Permanent Under Secretary level this weekend, presumably on Sunday. (The next CD plenary will take place on Monday.) Duncan asked if the United States would join in the demarche. Reporting Deadline -------------- ¶5. (U) Monday, August 10, when the CD will next meet to consider its procedures. Please slug replies for the Department (ISN/MNSA) and Geneva for the CD del. Point of Contact -------------- ¶6. (U) Please contact ISN/MNSA (Alexander Liebowitz, 202-647-8524) via phone or email for further information. CLINTON