US embassy cable - 05CAIRO2893

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 002893 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, EG, PDEM, CHR-1 
SUBJECT: CHR-61 CUBA AND BELARUS RESOLUTIONS:  GOE 
NON-COMMITTAL ON ITS VOTING PLANS 
 
REF: A. STATE 42847 (NOTAL) 
     B. STATE 44494 (NOTAL) 
     C. STATE 63981 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified by Acting DCM Michael Corbin for reasons 1.4 (b) 
and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Responding to Ref B demarche request on the UNCHR-61 
Belarus resolution, Post coordinated with the Dutch Embassy 
(representing the current EU President Luxembourg in Egypt) 
on our request for GOE support ahead of the expected April 14 
vote.  According to MFA Office of Human Rights Affairs 
Director Ihab Gamaleddine, the GOE was well aware of the USG 
and European position on the resolution but that a decision 
had not yet been made by the Foreign Minister on voting 
instructions. 
 
2.  (C) Drawing from reftel demarches, ECPO MinCouns and 
Poloff made numerous calls to senior staff within the MFA to 
press for Egyptian support on our Cuba resolution.  Neither 
senior staff within the multilateral division nor on the 
Minister's personal staff were able to share with us a 
definitive GOE position, suggesting that the decision had not 
yet been taken by the Minister.  As of mid-afternoon April 
14, instructions had yet to be forwarded to the Egyptian 
mission in Geneva, they asserted.  We understand from one 
Cabinet staff member that the Egyptian mission in Washington 
had reported the content of the April 13 meeting between 
Assistant Secretary Welch and Ambassador Fahmy in which A/S 
Welch pressed for Egypt's support on the resolutions. 
Despite our interventions, post believes Egypt is unlikely to 
join us against Arab and Africian group majority positions on 
either of the two resolutions. 
 
 
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State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. 
 
GRAY