ARAB LEAGUE MINISTERS SET TO MEET ON LEBANON ISSUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 005207 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC MEPN EG LE SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE MINISTERS SET TO MEET ON LEBANON ISSUE AUGUST 20 REF: A. STATE 136507 ¶B. CAIRO 5077 Classified by William R. Stewart for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Post delivered reftel demarche August 19 separately to MFA Cabinet staff member Nazih al Negeiry and Arab League Chief of Staff Hisham Youssef, ahead of an August 20 ministerial meeting at Arab League headquarters focused on Lebanon. Negeiry committed to delivering the message to Minister Aboul Gheit and to providing a readout of the August 20 gathering at the League. Negeiry avoided speculation on what the senior Arab officials would conclude during their talks, but believed the planned absence of Syrian Foreign Minister Muallem would lower tensions. ¶2. (C) Arab League Secretariat Chief of Staff Hisham Youssef confided that ministers would meet at 1400 for a private, closed-door working lunch hosted by Egypt, followed by another closed door meeting starting at 1600 at League headquarters, which would likely conclude by the early evening. Secretary General Amre Moussa and the current Chair of the Council of Ministers (United Arab Emirates) are expected to address the media following their meeting. The agenda for the formal session includes reconstruction assistance for Lebanon, the holding of an extraordinary Arab summit on Lebanon, and an AL proposal to initiate Arab-Israeli peace talks under the auspices of the UN Security Council (ref B). Youssef promised to convey the USG message to Moussa, and to provide a read-out following the meeting. RICCIARDONE