DEMARCHE ON NAM SUMMIT: OMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 001328

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER KPAL UNGA MU
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON NAM SUMMIT: OMAN

REF: A. MUSCAT 1327

B. MUSCAT 1317

C. MUSCAT 1316

D. STATE 145279

E. STATE 145242

Classified By: Ambassador Gary A. Grappo for Reasons 1.4 (b, d)


1. (C) The Ambassador delivered ref E demarche on September
4 to Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusef bin Alawi
regarding the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Cuba, in
addition to discussing the upcoming Arab League Ministerial
and other topics with the Minister (refs A-C). Alawi
confirmed that he would attend the NAM Summit in Havana
before proceeding to New York City to head the Omani
delegation to the UN General Assembly. He added that
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas would also be
in Havana "working the crowd."


2. (C) Regarding NAM statements on terrorism and the Middle
East conflict, Alawi said that he did not expect any
substantive debate or heated discussion in Havana on these
issues as consensus on a draft final document should have
been hammered out during earlier NAM preparatory meetings.
While Alawi appreciated the importance of condemning
terrorism in all of its forms, he stated that a distinction
had to be drawn between terrorism and the legitimate right to
defend against and resist aggression. (Alawi's comments on
Lebanon and the UN Security Council election are reported in
refs A and B.)
GRAPPO