date:2009-03-02T02:50:00
source:Embassy Wellington
origin:09WELLINGTON60
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ZZH O 020250Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
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S E C R E T WELLINGTON 000060

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/ANP; ISN FOR RICHARD NEPHEW, MATT GOLDSTEIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/2025
TAGS: PARM, KNNP, IAEA, MNUC, IR, SYR, NZ
SUBJECT: GNZ AGREES WITH USG POINTS ON IRAN AND SYRIA; WILL
ISSUE STRONG STATEMENTS

REF: STATE 16285

Classified By: Acting DCM Margaret B. McKean; Reason 1.4 (b)
and (d)

1. (S) On March 2, Acting DCM met with Jillian Dempster,
Deputy Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
International Security and Disarmament Division to discuss
reftel points. Dempster agreed with the USG views, noting
that MFAT had forwarded draft statements on both Iran and
Syria to Cabinet Ministers last week. The Government of New
Zealand's position on both Iran and Syria under the new
National-led government of PM John Key is likely to remain
similar to that of former Labour PM Helen Clark. Dempster
observed that in both the cases of Iran and Syria, the
Director General's reports indicate that "the situation has
not been fixed." Iran has not complied with IAEA requests
for comprehensive access, has not provided design
information, and has built roofs over its installations
thereby limiting satellite information that provided some
level of data. On Syria, the GNZ believes that the issues
surrounding the discovery of uranium in the soil samples from
the destroyed alleged reactor site "are concerning" and that
the GNZ does not deem as fully credible the GOS explanation
that the uranium derives from Israeli missiles.

2. (S) Dempster added that New Zealand would be sending a
new Ambassador to Tehran shortly -- Brian Sanders who is
currently working in MFAT's Asia Division on Korea and Japan
will be replacing Hamish McMaster, who will return to
Wellington. The MFAT official added that Sanders has
previous Middle East experience, having served in Riyadh.
She also said that the Iranian Embassy has been conspicuously
silent in the lead up to the March Board of Governors
meeting. Usually, the Iranian government conducts a public
diplomacy campaign and demarches the GNZ; this year, there
have been no meeting requests with MFAT, said Dempster.

3. (S) On issuing the Syrian report to the public, Dempster
reported that some NAM members of the Board do not want
either the Iran or Syria reports to be made public, and will
try to block BOG release of the reports. She said that the
GNZ would stay in touch with like-minded governments in
Vienna and "see what the traffic will bear."
KEEGAN