UAE MAKES PRIVATE ENDORSEMENT OF PSI

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001520 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR T - U/S RJOSEPH AND PNCNERNEY, ACTING A/S ISN RADEMAKER, ISN/CPI CRUSSELL, PM - A/S HILLEN, NEA FO A/S WELCH, GRAY ENERGY FOR CLERSTEN COMMERCE/BIS FOR U/S MCCORMICK, DAS WWYSONG TREASURY FOR U/S LEVEY E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2016 TAGS: MNUC PARM PGOV PHSA PREL KNNP AE SUBJECT: UAE MAKES PRIVATE ENDORSEMENT OF PSI REF: A. ABU DHABI 1422 ¶B. ABU DHABI 605 ¶C. STATE 50811 ¶D. STATE 50792 Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This message contains an action request in para 3. ¶2. (C) The Embassy received a diplomatic note from the UAE MFA April 15 endorsing the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) and its Statement of Interdicting Principles. In response to our query about whether the endorsement was public or private, MFA confirmed to us April 17 that Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed intended the UAEG's endorsement to be private. This Embassy and visiting USG officials have sought the UAE's participation in the PSI through its endorsement of the PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles since mid-2003. Both Under Secretary of State Joseph (ref A) and ISN Acting Assistant Secretary Rademaker (ref B) urged UAEG endorsement of PSI during their respective visits to Abu Dhabi. ¶3. (C) ACTION REQUEST: We ask the Department to clarify the meaning of a private endorsement of the PSI. It is our understanding, and the Emiratis' understanding as well, that in making their endorsement private to us, the USG will not share this information with any other government. If this is true, is there any way the UAEG can send a representative to the next PSI meeting in Poland in May? ¶4. (U) An informal translation of the text of the UAE's diplomatic note follows: BEGIN TEXT With reference to the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI),the UAE Foreign Ministry wishes to inform the Embassy that the UAE Government supports and adopts this initiative and its basic principles. The UAE Government is ready to cooperate to prohibit the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and related materials. The UAE Government is willing to participate "as much as possible" in the efforts and activities growing out of this initiative in the future. END TEXT ¶5. (U) Embassy Abu Dhabi will fax a copy of the UAE's diplomatic note to NEA/ARP. SISON