VZCZCXYZ0017
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHZP #0562 1911757
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 091757Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2263
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0325

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 000562 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2018 
TAGS: PREL UNSC IS LE SY PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA: UNSC DEMARCHE ON ARAB GROUP DRAFT 
RESOLUTION DELIVERED 
 
REF: STATE 73171 
 
 
Classified By: POLCOUNS Brian R. Naranjo.  Reason:  1.4 (d). 
 
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Need to Support Quartet, Roadmap 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶1. (C) "We cannot allow anything to interrupt the 
conversations between the Palestinians and the Israelis," 
Panamanian MFA Senior Advisor for UNSC Matters Nils Castro 
told POLCOUNS on July 9 in response to reftel demarche.  "We 
need to keep the temperature down."  Castro stated that 
Panama fully agreed with the need for any text to be 
balanced, to support the work of the Quartet, and to support 
the Roadmap.  Castro said Panama would welcome the 
opportunity for "serious negotiations" on the basis of the 
U.S. text.  Noting that the Israeli Ambassador to Panama had 
demarched him on the same matter, Castro said he believed it 
was strange that Libya was pushing the settlements issue so 
hard when the Palestinians, according to Israel's Ambassador, 
were not presently raising it themselves with Israel.  Castro 
undertook to engage PANPR Arias to seek reactions and to 
encourage Panama to play a moderating role in discussions in 
New York. 
 
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FM Unavailable 
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¶2. (C) First VP and FM Samuel Lewis, recently returned from 
an overseas visit, was unavailable for Charge, so POLCOUNS 
delivered these messages to Lewis' lead UNSC advisor.  POL 
also double tracked this demarche at the working level with 
MFA UNSC Team Advisor Janio Tunon who undertook to share the 
substance of this demarche with PANUN. 
MESA