SYRIAN FM SHARA'A VISITS UAE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 003914 SIPDIS FOR NEA/FO, NEA/NGA, NEA/IAI, AND NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 8/25/13 TAGS: PREL SY IZ TC SUBJECT: SYRIAN FM SHARA'A VISITS UAE Classified by Richard A. Albright, Charge d'Affaires, a.i., for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) Summary: Syrian Foreign Minister Shara'a visited the UAE August 24-25, meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed al- Nahyan and with Information Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Shara'a is touring the Gulf (in Doha today enroute to Kuwait) to organize the October visit of President Bashar, according to a readout the Syrian Ambassador provided Charge. The visit was short on substance. End summary. ¶2. (C) In their August 25 meeting, which was more protocolary than substantive, Shara'a and Sheikh Khalifa exchanged views on the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, Iraq, and an Arab League reform proposal. On Palestinian/Israeli developments, the Syrians said they want stronger US intervention to control Israel. The Crown Prince's press statement was bland, noting the primacy of the US role, and adding that the US could use its leverage on Israel to comply with international resolutions and consequently withdraw from all Arab territories occupied in 1967. ¶3. (C) On Iraq, the Syrian Ambassador told Charge that Syria was not planning to recognize the IGC, and that for now, no IGC visit was planned to Damascus. With respect to Arab League reform, he said that Shara'a had raised with the Crown Prince an Arab League reform proposal that would move voting on some issues from consensus to some form of majority vote. The Syrian Ambassador described the discussion as general and had no further details to share. ¶4. (U) The Ambassador indicated that Shara'a visit was arranged suddenly as he, who was abroad, got back to Abu Dhabi only two hours before his Foreign Minister's arrival. ALBRIGHT