EGYPTIAN-IRAQI RELATIONS UPDATE; IRAQ'S NEIGHBORS

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 005799

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNGA PTER EG IZ
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN-IRAQI RELATIONS UPDATE; IRAQ'S NEIGHBORS
SET TO CONVENE IN NEW YORK AND JEDDAH

REF: CAIRO 5708 (NOTAL)

Classified by Minister Counselor for Economic and Political
Affairs William R. Stewart for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Egyptian MFA Spokeman Alaa Hadidi updated poloff on
September 14 regarding Egypt's bilateral relations with Iraq,
and on upcoming regional events involving Iraq. Hadidi
confirmed reftel report that Egypt invited Iraqi Prime
Minister Maliki to visit, but said he was unaware of specific
plans or dates for that event. Hadidi said the GOE had hoped
Maliki would visit Cairo prior to his recent Tehran trip.
Speculating on possible motives why Maliki did not come,
Hadidi suggested Maliki might have wanted to delay a Cairo
visit until after a mid-September Egyptian ruling party
conference, given persistent rumors of a coming cabinet
shake-up.


2. (C) Asked about the status of Egypt's bilateral relations
with Iraq, Hadidi asserted there was "nothing new," despite
the Iraqi foreign minister's recent statement to an Egyptian
newspaper that Iraq would post an ambassador to Cairo by the
end of the year. Hadidi said the Iraqis had not made a
formal request to post an Ambassador, nor had the issue been
raised by FM Zebari when he was in Cairo last week for an
Arab League ministerial. In general, Hadidi stated, Egypt
would continue its political support for the Government of
Iraq in its efforts to establish stability and security.


3. (C) Discussing upcoming regional events involving Iraq,
Hadidi confirmed Egypt would participate in a meeting of
interior ministers of Iraq's neighbors scheduled for next
week in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The ministers, he added, would
review a draft protocol on border security, and would discuss
establishing a secretariat or other mechanism for sharing
information. Similarly, foreign ministers of Iraq's
neighbors and Egypt would meet on September 18 in New York on
the margins of the UNGA. Hadidi said Egypt had also been
asked to participate in an Iraq Compact meeting in New York,
even though it had been left off the list for the recent
meeting in the Emirates. Asked whether the Arab League's
reconciliation efforts would be on the agenda of the New York
meeting, Hadidi lamented that the League's efforts had been
"frozen" by the Iraqi government's decision not to pursue the
effort.
JONES