JAPAN TO WAIT FOR OTHER UNESCO DIRECTOR-GENERAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 000029 SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/UNESCO KELLY SIEKMAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2019 TAGS: PREL UNESCO JA SUBJECT: JAPAN TO WAIT FOR OTHER UNESCO DIRECTOR-GENERAL NOMINATIONS REF: 08 STATE 12958 Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for Reasons 1.4 (b),(d). ¶1. (C) Japan has stated it will wait before declaring support for a candidate for the UNESCO Director-General position. According to Yoshio Ando, Director of MITI's Multilateral Cultural Cooperation Division, Japan hopes that a candidate will be chosen who can continue the reform efforts undertaken by the present Director-General, Koichiro Matsuura. Ando went on to state that the Government of Japan was sympathetic to U.S. concerns about the Egyptian candidate, Culture Minister Farouk Hosni. Ando said that he personally, based on his previous assignment in Egypt, agreed with the U.S. assessment of Hosni who he said was, "the King of Corruption." ¶2. (C) Director Ando went on to add that based on his conversations with other delegations the U.S. campaign against the Egyptian candidate was being perceived as "anti-Islamic, and pro-Israeli." He said momentum was building for Hosni's candidacy and "U.S. efforts to stop the nomination would be more effective if they came from another quarter, if they were raised by other countries than the U.S. and Israel." He also speculated as to whether there might be a more acceptable Egyptian compromise candidate, such as Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria. SCHIEFFER