ARTICLE 98: JORDAN EMPOWERS ITS UN PERMREP TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 006926 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2012 TAGS: PREL US JO ICC SUBJECT: ARTICLE 98: JORDAN EMPOWERS ITS UN PERMREP TO NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE U.S. REF: A. AMMAN 6463 ¶B. AMMAN 6270 ¶C. AMMAN 5626 Classified By: Amb. Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) PolCouns on November 26 separately queried Ali al-Ayed, personal assistant to Foreign Minister Muasher, and Samer Naber, MFA Legal Advisor, about the status of GOJ consideration of an Article 98 agreement with the U.S. PolCouns reiterated our desire to complete an agreement with Jordan as soon as possible, and recalled King Abdullah's previous statements to senior USG officials and the Ambassador that he wanted Jordan to conclude such an agreement if it was compatible with Jordanian law and the Jordanian constitution. ¶2. (C) Ayed and Naber both acknowledged the King's interest in signing an Article 98 agreement with the U.S., and noted that the King had empowered the Jordanian PermRep in New York, Prince Zaid bin Raad, to negotiate with the U.S. They both strongly recommended that contacts in New York continue to move the process toward an Article 98 agreement. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: As we have previously reported, the locus of GOJ action on Article 98 has moved from Amman to New York. We understand that contacts with Prince Zaid continue. We would appreciate any information that would allow us to be helpful in pressing the GOJ. GNEHM