FM ON ARAB LEAGUE AND REFORMS: CHALLENGE IS TO GET

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000347 SIPDIS PLEASE PASS TO G/NICOLE BIBBINS SEDACA E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2015 TAGS: PREL KPAO KMPI KDEM YM SUBJECT: FM ON ARAB LEAGUE AND REFORMS: CHALLENGE IS TO GET THINGS MOVING REF: STATE 29314 Classified By: DCM Nabeel Khoury for reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) Although the GOE has postponed the planned March 3 Arab League - G-8 Ministerial, Ambassador asked FM Qirbi for his views on the meeting and Arab League attitudes on BMENA (reftel). Qirbi said he believed the agenda for the March 3 meeting (now expected to occur following the March 22-23 Arab League Summit) focused on the same issues discussed in Rabat. ¶2. (C) According to the FM, the GOE is pushing for a united Arab League stance on reform, for fear that BMENA will render the Arab League irrelevant. Too polite to comment on the institutions' existing efficacy, Qirbi called Arab League fears of eclipse "unjustified," but advised that they should bee addressed in the interests of progress on reform -- "Our challenge is to get things moving." ¶3. (C) As for inclusion of the wider BMENA group in Cairo's proposed Ministerial, Qirbi shared his view. "Afghanistan and Pakistan are our neighbors, developing common reform objectives would benefit us all." Krajeski