MDA: FOLLOW-UP WITH OIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 000678 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2015 TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL DJ SUBJECT: MDA: FOLLOW-UP WITH OIC REF: SECSTATE 124830 Classified By: Pol/Econ Erinn C. Stott for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Pol/Econ delivered demarche per reftel 14 July to Director of Bilateral Relations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Ali Hassan. Hassan asked did the Swiss government write to each member nation of the OIC directly asking for this support. Pol/Econ said she was not sure, but could check. He continued that the Swiss government should send an official request regarding this issue, without such a request it would be difficult for Djibouti to take a stand. Hassan added that Djibouti is an Arab and Islamic state, and the issue is sensitive. He also said that some of the arguments put forward by Israel are not convincing, asking why the crescent or the cross would be considered an unsafe emblem for the population. RAGSDALE