FM KASRAWI ON UNESCO, ARAB LEAGUE-IRAQ TIES

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 008024 SIPDIS STATE FOR IO, NEA/I, S/I PARIS FOR UNMISSION UNESCO E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2015 TAGS: ETRD PREL SCUL IZ JO UNECSO BHUM SUBJECT: FM KASRAWI ON UNESCO, ARAB LEAGUE-IRAQ TIES REF: STATE 184292 Classified By: CDA David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) UNESCO -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Charge delivered reftel demarche on the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions to Foreign Minister Kasrawi October ¶6. Kasrawi also shared a brief readout with Charge of the October 2 meeting of the Arab League Contact Group in Jeddah. Walid Obeidat, head of Kasrawi's private office, and poloff notetaker also attended the meeting. ¶2. (C) In response to the Charge's points regarding the UNESCO demarche, Kasrawi noted that he had seen the results of recent votes on the Convention, and added that he understood the U.S. position of seeking delay of the vote until a proper review of the Convention could be made. Kasrawi said he would review the Convention further with Minister of Communication Nadia Saeed. AL Meeting on Iraq in Jeddah -------------- ¶3. (C) FM Kasrawi said the bottom line of the Arab League's Contact Group meeting in Jeddah, in his view, was to get Iraqi Sunnis involved in a national discussion since no one wanted them left out. Kasrawi also noted that Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Ja'Fari - who is to visit Amman October 10, according to Kasrawi - expressed frustration that no one from the Arab League had visited Iraq. Kasrawi said he understood that Arab League Secretary General Amre Musa planned to send a deputy to Baghdad prior to the plebiscite. In Jeddah, Kasrawi urged Musa to go himself, and soon. Kasrawi also said Iraqi Foreign Minister told him Iraq wants to see a Musa visit, the opening of Arab embassies and the posting of Arab ambassadors to Iraq soon. HALE