250833

2010-02-25

10THEHAGUE117
Embassy The Hague

UNCLASSIFIED

10STATE15722
UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000117

SIPDIS

FOR IO/HR - COURTNEY MUSSER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: IO, PHUM, UNGA, NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS TO ABSTAIN ON PALESTINIANS' GOLDSTONE
RESOLUTION
REF: STATE 15722

EMBOFFS delivered reftel points to Mr. Peter van der Vliet,
Deputy Director of the Dutch MFA's UN and International
Financial Institutions Department. Van der Vliet advised
that the Netherlands intends to abstain in the February 26
vote in the UN General Assembly on the Palestinian-drafted
resolution on the Goldstone Report. He said other EU member
states who are like-minded on the issue will similarly
abstain but noted that it looks like quite a number of EU
members will vote in favor. While he said that things
could change depending on the outcome of last-minute EU
coordination efforts, the Netherlands will, in any case,
not/not vote in favor of the resolution.
NOLAN