YEMENI DEMARCHE ON MONEY CONVERSION PROBLEMS IN

UNCLAS SANAA 000628 SIPDIS SENSITIVE NEA/ARP FOR MIKE MILLER AND PAT HEFFERNAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EFIN YM DEMARCHE SUBJECT: YEMENI DEMARCHE ON MONEY CONVERSION PROBLEMS IN INDIA ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See para 5. ¶2. (SBU) According to the Yemeni Foreign Ministry, the State Bank of India has, at USG request, adopted restrictions affecting the ability of the Yemeni Embassy in New Delhi to transfer funds abroad. Abdul Salaam Al-Awadhi, Director of the Two Americas Department at the MFA in Sanaa, convoked the DCM March 31 to raise this problem and request our assistance in clarifying and resolving it. Al-Awadhi, acting upon instructions of FM Al-Qirbi in making this demarche, added that the Yemeni Embassy in New Delhi had informed Sanaa of this problem about a week ago. ¶3. (SBU) Al-Awadhi said the Yemeni Embassy had made inquiries at the Indian Foreign Ministry and was told that the Indian MFA had not conveyed any instructions or information to the State Bank of India vis-a-vis the Yemeni Embassy. Asked if the Yemeni Embassy had contacted the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, Al-Awadhi replied that his report from New Delhi made no mention of this. He added that the restriction by the State Bank of India is causing problems for personnel at the Yemeni Embassy and for Yemeni students in India. DCM said that Embassy Sanaa had received no information from Washington or New Delhi about this issue, and would report the problem and request a response. ¶4. (SBU) Al-Awadhi provided a "non-paper" that he said summarized the report Sanaa had received from its Embassy in New Delhi. Following is our unofficial translation: Begin text: The Embassy of the Yemeni Republic in New Delhi has reported that the State Bank of India, with which the Embassy has dealings, has informed it that it is not permitted for (the Embassy) to transfer any amounts outside of India -- except through the Embassy's official account or through the personal accounts of the two (Embassy) representatives, without a statement of the purpose of the transfer, for example, the name of the person or agency, and the nature of the connection or relationship, and the reason for the transfer. The Embassy contacted the director of the above-mentioned bank and was informed that this measure was undertaken based upon a request from the government of the United States of America. End Text. ¶5. (U) Action Request: We would appreciate Department assistance in obtaining information, from Treasury and/or Embassy New Delhi, with which we can respond to the Yemeni request. HULL