FM AL-QIRBI ON YEMEN-SAUDI BORDER ISSUES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000381 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV MASS YM SUBJECT: FM AL-QIRBI ON YEMEN-SAUDI BORDER ISSUES REF: A. SECSTATE 28746 ¶B. SANAA 372 Classified By: Charge D'Affaires Alan G. Misenheimer for reasons 1.5 (b . and d.) ¶1. (c) In February 16 meeting (other subjects ref b and septel),Foreign Minister Abubakr al-Qirbi elaborated on the current border dispute between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Qirbi affirmed that President Saleh is traveling to Saudi Arabia on February 17 to discuss the issue with the Saudi Leadership. Qirbi added that there are no preliminary proposals or draft understandings in place (e.g. for Saleh and Abdullah to sign) concerning Yemen's claim. ¶2. (c) Qirbi said that the SAG erected sand barriers, concrete pipelines and barbed wire less than twenty kilometers of the border. Qirbi described the barriers as 70 km and 50 km long in some places. Citing the 2000 Jeddah Border Agreement, Qirbi said no fortification is allowed within the 20 km zone on either side of the border. He commented that the ROYG believes the construction more closely resembles a military fortification, as opposed to the SAG claim that it is an anti-smuggling measure. In light of recent expanded CT cooperation, Qirbi added that the ROYG is concerned because the SAG did not consult with the ROYG before it began construction. On a recent visit to Saudi Arabia, Qirbi said that he told Prince Abdullah that the construction violates the Jeddah Agreement. As an alternative to the barriers, Qirbi said the ROYG would like to see a bilateral agreement to fight smuggling. 3.(c) Comment: Press coverage of the barrier is widespread and follows another widely reported dispute where the ROYG contended that the SAG undertook unilateral action against the ROYG. This past summer, the SAG banned many agricultural imports from Yemen, and the decision was not reversed until January and only in response -- according to Yemeni officials -- to Yemen's import ban on Saudi goods. The ROYG, however, clearly hopes to resolve the current dispute expeditiously under the rubric of wider counterterrorism cooperation between the two nations. End comment. MISENHEIMER