Iran: Nuclear Power

Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made recent representations to his Malaysian counterpart on Malaysia's policy on Iran's nuclear programme; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Ivan Lewis
My officials lobbied the Malaysian Government in advance of the recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors meeting to make clear the importance of sending a strong signal to Iran. In the event, Malaysia cast its vote against a resolution censuring Iran for its nuclear programme on 27 November 2009. Since the vote, the Malaysian Government have made a public statement saying that their vote against the resolution was not in line with government procedures and that their Permanent Representative to the IAEA has been recalled to Kuala Lumpur for consultations. My officials have spoken to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and have sent a Note Verbale recording our disappointment with the vote, but welcoming the subsequent public statement.