QATARI FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS IRAN AND MEETS

C O N F I D E N T I A L DOHA 000125

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/24/2016
TAGS: PREL IR QA
SUBJECT: QATARI FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS IRAN AND MEETS
PRESIDENT


Classified By: Ambassador Chase Untermeyer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani met
the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmedi-Nejad, delivering a
verbal message from the Qatari Amir, on Tehran January 23. He
met with his counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki, the following
day. Qatari official press reported that HBJ described, in a
press conference, Qatari-Iranian relations as "good in the
gas and oil sectors, especially in terms of the South Pars
Field." (Note. This is the Iranian name for what Qataris call
the North Field, the largest single gas field in the world
and shared by the two countries.) He said the two countries'
gas agreement was a model for building "brotherly" relations.


2. (U) During the visit, the two sides agreed to hold the
fifth meeting of the "joint Higher Qatari-Iranian Committee"
in Tehran and agreed to create a joint political committee to
be headed by office directors of the two foreign ministries.
HBJ also met with Dr. Ali Akbar Wilayati, a Counselor in the
Iranian MFA.


3. (U) The Arabic-language, Iranian paper al-Wifaq reported
January 24 that HBJ said Qatar is striving to lessen the
tension on the "peaceful" nuclear issue and recalled the
story of the "magic" Moses performed for the Pharaoh in
ancient Egypt. Al-Wifaq reported that HBJ called for
increasing bilateral economic relations. "The stability and
development of Iran is our stability and development, and
Iran does not face any danger from the Qatar," he said. HBJ
referred to an invitation from Ahmedi-Nejad to visit Tehran
and said that the visit will take place in the near future.


4. (C) In his meeting January 21 with A/S Silverberg and
Ambassador Untermeyer, HBJ said that "we are very concerned"
about Iran. The Iranians are committed to their nuclear
weapons program, in his opinion. The Bushehr nuclear plant is
close and, weapons activity aside, an accident would impact
Qatar more than Iran itself. Also, Iran shares Qatar's
natural gas field. He said he told the Iranians that they
must work out the nuclear impasse with the EU and the
international community. He warned them not to rely on Qatar
in the Security Council; we won't be the member "singing
alone." But I'm not hopeful, he said.

COMMENT
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5. (C) Post views the foreign minister's trip to Tehran as an
extension of traditional Qatari regional diplomacy, which
seeks to keep lines open to all neighbors. We expect that HBJ
encouraged Iranian diplomatic engagement with the West to
reduce rising tensions on the nuclear issue.
UNTERMEYER