VZCZCXYZ0011
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHLO #1823 1911604
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 091604Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9159
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE IMMEDIATE 0166
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 1219
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 001823
SIPDIS
DEPART FOR IO/JEAN CLARK
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2018
TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC ZI UK
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: UK OPTIMISTIC ON UNSC RESOLUTION
REF: SECSTATE 73173
Classified By: Political Counselor Richard Mills, reasons 1.4 (b/d).
1. (C) Per reftel, the Charge spoke on July 9 with FCO Minister for Africa Lord Malloch-Brown, who was optimistic there
would be sufficient votes to pass the current UNSC draft resolution on Zimbabwe. Malloch-Brown suggested progress had
been made with Moscow and Beijing in New York and at the G-8 Summit in Japan. In his view, China will likely do the
right thing because it does not want another human rights fight on its hands before the Olympics. Russia, however, was
more problematic. President Medevev agreed to the G-8 Summit statement that implied sanctions, but seemed to walk back
from that in statements he made today. FCO Zimbabwe Desk Ben Llewellyn-Jones told us that the PM,s Foreign Policy
Advisor, Simon MacDonald, called his Russian counterpart to lobby in favor of the resolution, but did not receive any
assurances. When directly asked, the Russians did not say if they would veto. Given the current frosty UK-Russia
relations, Malloch-Brown said USG engagement with the Russians might be more effective. He also questioned if Moscow
would really want to use its veto on this issue.
2. (C) Malloch-Brown said Ouagadougou is "on our side" from what the UK Embassy in Burkina Faso is reporting, but that
the Zimbabwean Foreign Minister's visit will test the depth of that commitment. On Libya, Malloch-Brown said that UK
Foreign Secretary Miliband had telephoned the Libyan Foreign Minister, who was ambiguous but promised to be as
supportive as possible. Visit London's Classified Website:XXXXXXXXXXXX LeBaron