UAEG AGREES WITH SAUDI STATEMENT ON EVENTS IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 002886 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR CMS TASK FORCE 1C-COORDINATOR JERUSALEM FOR A/S WELCH AND DAPNSA ABRAMS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2016 TAGS: KPAL KWBG PREL LE AE SUBJECT: UAEG AGREES WITH SAUDI STATEMENT ON EVENTS IN LEBANON REF: ABU DHABI 2885 Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed al Sha'ali is en route to Cairo to attend Saturday,s Arab League Foreign Ministers meeting. Ministry of Foreign Affairs acting number two Tariq Al Haidan told Ambassador July 14 morning that the UAEG had taken note of the July 13 Saudi News Agency statement on events in Lebanon, Israel, and the Palestinian territories and believes that the statement "reflects the reality of all Gulf States and the situation in Lebanon." Al Haidan said the UAE agreed with the statement's sentiment that Hezbollah,s actions had put the entire region, and indeed the entire world, at risk. ¶2. (U) Al Haidan reported that he and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah had spent the past 24 hours "working the phones" to ensure the safe passage to Syria of some 2,000 Emirati tourists stranded in Lebanon. Most will be returning home via Damascus; national carrier Etihad has laid on two extra daily flights to handle the travelers. (U) Special Media Reaction message to follow septel. Embassy will continue to monitor WAM website for any official UAEG statement on the situation. (A/DCM spoke with WAM director Ibrahim al Abed at 1345 local time and was told that there has been no decision regarding a UAEG public statement.) SISON