MALAYSIA: GOM NAMES NEW GOVENOR TO THE IAEA

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000080 SIPDIS FOR EAP/MTS AND INR E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/08/2020 TAGS: PREL PARM PGOV IAEA IR MY SUBJECT: MALAYSIA: GOM NAMES NEW GOVENOR TO THE IAEA REF: STATE 9141 -- IRAN DIPLOMACY Classified By: Ambassador James R. Keith for reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: MFA Deputy Secretary General II for Multilateral Affairs Mohammed Zainol invited the Ambassador to a February 9 meeting to inform him that the GOM had appointed Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Bin Yaakob as the new Governor of Malaysia to the Board of Governors (BOG) of the IAEA. Zainol requested USG support for Shahrul to be named as Chairman of the BOG for the remainder of the Malaysian term until September 2010, noting that the BOG would consider the issue at a February 12 meeting. Chiefs of Mission from the UK, France, and Japan (among others) were also called in individually for a similar briefing and request for support. ¶2. (C) The Ambassador thanked Zainol for the information and for the GOM's quick action on the matter, confirming that the USG supported the proposal and supported Malaysia's retaining the BOG Chair until September. The Ambassador stressed Malaysia's important role as a moderate voice at the IAEA, citing important upcoming IAEA business including issues related to both Syria and Iran. Conveying the key points of reftel, the Ambassador noted that diplomacy with Iran was becoming more urgent, and that Malaysia could help dissuade Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapons program, including through conversations at the IAEA. Zainol replied that the GOM supported countries' rights to peaceful uses of nuclear power, but would emphasize to Iran and others that actions had to remain in accord with IAEA safeguards. The GOM would ask Iran to resolve its issues concerning uranium enrichment at the negotiating table. ¶3. (SBU) Bio note: Shahrul was most recently Ambassador of Malaysia to Qatar (2007-2010),served as Under Secretary for Disarmament and Nonproliferation Issues at MFA (2005-2007), and was Deputy Permanent Representative of Malaysia at the United Nations in Vienna (2002-2005). Complete CV is being sent to USUNVIE. KEITH