DENIAL OF A VISA TO A MEMBER OF THE IRANIAN

S E C R E T USUN NEW YORK 000729 SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/UNP E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2019 TAGS: OFDP PREL CVIS IR UN SUBJECT: DENIAL OF A VISA TO A MEMBER OF THE IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY REF: STATE 76727 Classified By: Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff, Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (S) Upon receipt of reftel, USUN called the Iranian Mission to inform them that the Department decided to deny a visa to Alireza Salari Sharifabadi, who has planned to attend the meetings on the World Financial and Economic Crisis from June 24-26 at UNHQ. The Mission made no comment. USUN also called the UN's Office of Legal Affairs (OLA),adding that the denial was made pursuant to the long standing modus vivendi. OLA was surprised that a decision to deny the visa was made almost a month after the end of the meeting that the applicant sought to attend. ¶2. (C) As the Department is aware, OLA considers visa denials and delays a serious problem. It supports the modus vivendi and does not challenge us when we invoke it, but the USG's credibility is damaged when a visa is denied so long after the fact. RICE