1. (U) Djibouti's Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf
contacted Ambassador on July 10 to request an urgent meeting
on the New Embassy Compound (NEC) Project. The meeting took
place at the Foreign Ministry on July 11.



2. (C) The Minister, joined by Director of Bilateral
Relations Mohamed Ali Hassan, raised with the Ambassador
Embassy's June 29, 2005 dipnote, which conveyed text of OBO
requirements listed in Ref (A). He indicated he had just
come from President Guelleh's office where he had reviewed
the note with the President. Youssouf went through the list,
and stated that there were no difficulties with the majority
of the items requested. However, with respect to Vehicular
Access, President Guelleh is concerned that the necessary
security zone set up to protect his nearby residence might
create the opportunity for an unfortunate incident at
checkpoints where Djiboutian guards are armed. As such, a
more northerly route for access to the NEC site was not
feasible. Youssouf continued that if this denial of access is
problematic for the U.S. in terms of its purchase of the
particular piece of land it has chosen, the Government of
Djibouti would be pleased to offer an alternative parcel in
Haramous abutting the French cemetery and a few meters away
from CERD Headquarters, or another site in Haramous. With
respect to the U.S. requirement of a Water Well, the Minister
said the MFA would have to attain Ministry of Agriculture
concurrence. The Water Well is a new request of the U.S.,
the Minister said, and he indicated his fear that there will
be no end to such requests regarding this piece of property.



3. (C) Ambassador reassured the Minister that the June 29
dipnote contained the definitive list of requirements needed
before payment could be made to the Government of Djibouti
for the existing Haramous parcel. The Minister replied that
he would get an answer on the matter of the well and put
together a response that he would then send to the Embassy.
Ambassador suggested that the Minister take the June 29
dipnote and address each issue in turn, using the exact
language of our note in his reply. For example, she said, on
the first item "Zoning", since the Government of Djibouti has
no problem with this request, it should respond that the
"Government of Djibouti approves and confirms that the United
States of America is legally and lawfully entitled to
construct its new embassy compound, including a warehouse and
utility building, on the site located in Haramous, currently
zoned residential." In this way, the Ambassador stated, the
language would be certain to address specific needs of
Washington that Djibouti's prior communication had not. For
"Vehicular Access," the Government of Djibouti should state
its position, but also state the alternative it is proposing.
Again, the Ambassador urged that the language of Embassy's
diplomatic note be incorporated into the Djiboutian response.
The Foreign Minister agreed and promised to forward a
diplomatic note the following day to the Embassy.



4. (U) On July 12, Embassy received the following diplomatic
note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Embassy
translation), also reported septel:

Begin Text:

Republic of Djibouti
Unity-Equality-Peace

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

No. 584/04/FAX/MAECI
Djibouti 12 July 2005

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States
of America in Djibouti and, referring to its diplomatic note
No. 74 dated 29 June 2005, has the honor to inform the
following:

Zoning:

The Government of the Republic of Djibouti approves and
confirms that the Government of the United States of America
possesses a legal authorization to construct a new Embassy, a
warehouse and utility building on the site in Haramous,
currently zoned residential.

Haramous Development Plan:

The Government of the Republic of Djibouti assures that the
final development plan for the Haramous area will not
substantially differ from the plan presented to the
Government of the United States when the Conditional Purchase
Agreement was signed.

Maximum Building Areas Under Roof:

The Government of the Republic of Djibouti approves the
request of 10,000 square meters of surface to be constructed,
which the Embassy of the United States needs. (Embassy
comment: This should be 12,000 square feet and may be a typo
by Djibouti. We will confirm and clarify. End comment.)

Maximum Height of Perimeter Wall:

The Government of the Republic of Djibouti authorizes the
construction of a solid wall and of a steel fence and raising
the wall of the building situated along the perimeter at 6.5
meters above finished grade.

Vehicular Access:

The Government of the Republic of Djibouti renews its
proposal of the access route that was submitted in the plan
transmitted 13 June 2005 by letter from the Ministry of
Economy and Finance number 490/MEFPP. The Government of the
Republic of Djibouti informs the Embassy that the said
proposal constitutes the sole and last alternative. If this
proposal is not convenient to the Embassy, the Government of
the Republic of Djibouti is disposed to grant to the Embassy
a new parcel of land on the same site at Haramous.

Water Well:

The Government of the Republic of Djibouti informs the
Embassy that supplying water for the new Embassy will be
assured by ONED and regrets not authorizing the Embassy
access to the acquifer situated approximately 200 feet below
grade.

Cultural:

The Government of the Republic of Djibouti confirms that the
site does not have cultural importance.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
seizes this occasion to renew to the Embassy of the United
States in Djibouti the assurance of its highest consideration.

End text.
RAGSDALE