YEMEN PREPARING EXCHANGE OF NOTES ON ARTICLE 98

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 002691 SIPDIS FOR T-U/S BOLTON, NEA-A/S BURNS, PM-BODINE E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2013 TAGS: PREL YM KICC SUBJECT: YEMEN PREPARING EXCHANGE OF NOTES ON ARTICLE 98 REF: SANAA 2617 Classified by Ambassador Edmund J. Hull for reasons 1.5 (b and d) ¶1. (C) On November 10, Ambassador met with Foreign Minister Qirbi to discuss the status of internal ROYG discussions on the U.S.-Yemen Article 98 agreement. Also present were the DCM and Pol/Econ Chief, as notetaker. Ambassador Hull said that Article 98 was raised with President Saleh during both a meeting in Aden on November 3 and a call from the Secretary on November 4, and we were told that the was to be a ROYG meeting on November 5 to make a final determination on moving forward on Article 98. Qirbi confirmed that there have been several meetings, and that the ROYG has agreed in principle. He added that the are reviewing the model texts the USG has provided and that Yemen is leaning towards an exchange of notes. ¶2. (C) Qirbi said that the MFA would share a text with both Embassy Sanaa and Yemen's Embassy in Washington o/a November 11. Citing concerns that the text be legally sufficient, the Ambassador mentioned the requirement that the exchange of notes have the "force of law." Qirbi noted the point and said again that he expects to share a draft text very soon. HULL