Cablegate: Maldives Will Vote with U.S. In Unga Third

VZCZCXRO4514
PP RUEHDE
DE RUEHLM #1044 3240903
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 190903Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8923
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4592
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2403
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 0980
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0827
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0155
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0854
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3032

UNCLAS COLOMBO 001044

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNP, DRL AND SCA/RA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM UNGA BM KN IR MV
SUBJECT: MALDIVES WILL VOTE WITH U.S. IN UNGA THIRD
COMMITTEE ON BURMA AND DPRK, BE ABSENT FOR IRAN

REF: A) STATE 117901 B) STATE 93981

1. (SBU) Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed reported to
Ambassador that Maldives would vote against the no-action
resolutions on Burma and DPRK and vote in favor of the
resolutions. However, citing a common stand taken by the
Organization of Islamic Countries, Shaheed said Maldives
would not be able to vote in a similar way on the Iran
resolution. Instead, the FM instructed his UN delegation to
be absent during both the no-action motion as well as the
resolution itself. Embassy understands that this represents
an improvement in Maldives' position on Third Committee
resolutions since last year.
Blake

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