VISIT OF NEA ASSISTANT SECRETARY WELCH: EGYPTIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 006417

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KPAL EG IS ICRC
SUBJECT: VISIT OF NEA ASSISTANT SECRETARY WELCH: EGYPTIAN
FOREIGN MINISTER ON MDA/THIRD PROTOCOL ISSUE


Classified by Charge Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) During an August 18 telephone conversation with
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, NEA Assistant
Secretary David Welch pressed for GOE cooperation on moving

SIPDIS
forward with the Magen David Adom (MDA)/Third Protocol issue,
particularly assisting Swiss efforts to convene a Diplomatic
Conference during the last week of October. It was important
for Egypt to help resolve the MDA issue, Welch said, as it
was at heart a humanitarian issue.


2. (C) Aboul Gheit stated that Egypt was "willing to go
along," but that Palestinian Foreign Minister Kidwa was being
difficult. The Palestinian Foreign Minister, he said, had
accused Egypt of doing some "unfriendly thing" to the
Palestinian Authority (Note: He may have been referring to
reports that Egypt told Swiss Ambassador Pfirter they would
be flexible if Israel publicly declared its intention to
maintain MDA activities within 1967 borders. End note). The
Palestinians simply do not want the MDA operating within the
Occupied Territories, he added. Pushing back, Welch told
Aboul Gheit that Kidwa and the Palestinian Authority were
taking a short-sighted view. The Palestinians needed "wiser"
GOE leadership on this issue. The MDA/Third Protocol issue
was a humanitarian issue, Welch repeated; it was wrong to
delay progress on resolution over fears of legal precedents
and final status issues like borders. These fears are
overstated and irrelevant. Welch told Aboul Gheit that Egypt
should have a stronger voice than Kidwa's on this issue.


3. (U) This message was cleared by A/S Welch.


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JONES