PSI: SEEKING ENDORSEMENT BY THE UAE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000852 SIPDIS SIPDIS COMMERCE FOR BIS U/S MCCORMICK E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/2016 TAGS: MNUC PARM PGOV PHSA PREL KNNP AE SUBJECT: PSI: SEEKING ENDORSEMENT BY THE UAE REF: A. SECSTATE 35050 ¶B. ABU DHABI 605 (U) Classified by Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (B) & (D). ¶1. (C) During a March 5 meeting with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (AbZ) and MinEcon Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security David McCormick and Ambassador both urged that the UAE endorse the PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles as soon as possible. Ambassador delivered ref. A demarche to Sheikh Abdullah, noting that more than 70 countries have already indicated support for PSI including several in the Middle East and North Africa. She explained that, once the UAE endorsed the PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles, Poland would present the UAEG with an invitation to attend the June PSI senior-level political meeting. AbZ replied that he was expecting to receive a response from the UAE military General Headquarters that day. Post will continue to follow up to encourage the UAE to send us a diplomatic note indicating support for PSI. SISON