Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06RABAT29
2006-01-06 18:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rabat
Cable title:  

REP. LANTOS DISCUSSES REGIONAL ISSUES, FREE TRADE,

Tags:  ECON MA PGOV PHUM PREL PTER 
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FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2443
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 3648
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 1552
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 2714
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 5304
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT PRIORITY 2922
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 3939
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS PRIORITY 8555
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHTRO/USLO TRIPOLI PRIORITY 0058
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0412
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 RABAT 000029 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2010
TAGS: ECON MA PGOV PHUM PREL PTER
SUBJECT: REP. LANTOS DISCUSSES REGIONAL ISSUES, FREE TRADE,
MCA WITH PM JETTOU


Classified By: Classified by Ambassador Thomas T. Riley for reasons 1.4
b and d.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 RABAT 000029

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2010
TAGS: ECON MA PGOV PHUM PREL PTER
SUBJECT: REP. LANTOS DISCUSSES REGIONAL ISSUES, FREE TRADE,
MCA WITH PM JETTOU


Classified By: Classified by Ambassador Thomas T. Riley for reasons 1.4
b and d.


1. (C) Summary: PM Jettou January 3 told visiting Rep.
Tom Lantos that Morocco appreciates U.S. efforts in the
Middle East and Iraq, where positive results are beginning
to take shape, and that Morocco would continue to do its
part in the war on terror. Jettou was also encouraged by
the approach of the Libyan Prime Minister, whom he
described as wise and moderate. Jettou said Morocco was
pleased to be the first country in Africa to conclude a
Free Trade Agreement with the U.S., and looked forward to
working closely with the U.S. on the Millennium Challenge
Account compact, which he hoped to conclude by April. Rep.
Lantos encouraged Morocco to re-open the Israeli liaison
office in
Rabat; the time is right and both the Israelis and
Palestinians would find such a move helpful. He expressed
disappointment that efforts to resolve the Western Sahara
conflict have failed. He said he would discuss this matter
with Secretary Rice, and that it may be time to resuscitate
U.S. involvement in resolving the conflict. End summary.


2. (C) Representative Tom Lantos, accompanied by
Ambassador Riley, House International Relations Committee
(HIRC) Democratic Staff Director Robert King, HIRC Senior
Professional Staff Member Alan Makovsky, HIRC Professional
Staff Member Mike Beard and DCM met with Prime Minister
Jettou January 3. Representative Lantos, Ambassador, King
and Makovsky later joined Jettou, Foreign Minister
Benaissa, Minister-Delegate for Foreign Affairs Taieb
Fassi-Fihri, and Moroccan Ambassador to the United States
Aziz Mekouar for lunch at Jettou,s residence in Rabat.


3. (C) Jettou opened the meeting by noting that
Morocco was proud to be the first country in the African
region to have concluded a Free Trade Agreement with the
U.S., and said he was also happy to be working with the
U.S. on a Millennium Challenge Account compact. He noted

that he had met with the latest Millennium Challenge
Corporation delegation only two weeks earlier. Rep. Lantos
replied that Morocco would do well with the MCA because
Morocco would undoubtedly do what is necessary to continue
to meet the reform criteria that are central to MCA
eligibility.

Israel
--------------


4. (C) Jettou expressed appreciation for Rep.
Lantos, contributions to international peace and his
efforts against poverty and inequality. He said that
Morocco is a true ally of the U.S., and pointed out that
the two countries had never faced one another as
adversaries. Morocco was equally proud now, Jettou said,
to answer to its responsibilities in the war on terrorism.
He said that the Moroccan government is closely monitoring
issues facing developing Muslim countries, and is paying
close attention to U.S. efforts to establish peace between
Israel and the Palestinians. He said that Morocco supports
the efforts of Palestinian President Abbas, and that what
Abbas has achieved so far is a result of U.S.
encouragement. He believed that events related to Israel
and the Palestinians were moving in the right direction,
and noted the importance of all countries in the region
continuing to provide support for the process.


5. (C) Morocco has played a unique role with regard
to Israel, Rep. Lantos said, and the time is now ripe to
re-establish an Israeli liaison office in Rabat. Both the
Palestinians and Israelis would find this helpful. Rep.
Lantos pointed out that he had visited the Israeli office
in Rabat on previous trips to Morocco, and would like to do
so again on his next trip. In terms of the issues on which
Morocco is interested in working with the U.S., including
the Western Sahara, it would be very helpful to have this
office established, Rep. Lantos said. He added that our
security and intelligence cooperation, among the many other
types of cooperation between the U.S. and Morocco, indicate
a very positive future for the relationship.


RABAT 00000029 002 OF 004



6. (C) During a relaxed and very direct lunch conversation,
FM Benaissa criticized Israel for not allowing residents of
east Jerusalem to participate in Palestinian elections since
no polling stations were provided. He said this was
"unfortunate," and he and PM Jettou agreed that the Israelis
should encourage rather than obstruct Palestinian
participation. Lantos staff agreed that Palestinian
participation was important, and this principle had been
followed in the two previous elections. But with Hamas, a
terrorist organization, now being an election participant,
this was no longer logical.


7. (C) Benaissa also observed that Morocco was doing what it
could to support the relationship with Israel. The Moroccans
had hosted a visit by Israeli FM Shalom in 2004, for example.
Morocco was willing to go farther than most Arabs, Benaissa
said, although Morocco had the impression that Oman and Yemen
also appeared receptive to expanding ties with Israel,
provided "conditions were right."

Iraq
--------------


8. (C) Positive results are also starting to take
shape in Iraq, Jettou said. He believed that the Iraqi
elections represented an important step toward establishing
democracy and restoring peace. He recognized that the
task in Iraq is not easy, and expressed appreciation for
U.S. efforts. He said that Morocco was directly involved
by virtue of the two Moroccan government employees being
held hostage in Iraq, but that Morocco would never give in
to blackmail.


9. (C) Rep. Lantos expressed his strong support for
Ambassador Riley,s efforts, and said that the President,s
decision to send Ambassador Riley to Rabat was a sign of
respect for Morocco. Rep. Lantos noted that he had visited
Morocco several times previously during the reign of Hassan
II, and had had an extended conversation with King Mohammed
VI as crown prince on one occasion in Washington. He
appreciated Jettou,s private sector experience, and said
that he had high hopes for the new
Free Trade relationship between the U.S. and Morocco. The
gradual phase-in of some provisions, he believed, would
provide for minimum disruption, and the U.S. would help
Morocco with necessary adjustments.

Study in the US
--------------


10. (C) Rep. Lantos emphasized that the U.S. is
hoping for an increase in Moroccan students in the U.S. He
expressed his belief in the importance of building back a
major Moroccan presence in the U.S. that had dropped off
after September 11, and offered his assistance in helping
to bring it about. He also expressed support for the
efforts of the National Democratic Institute in Morocco,
and hoped that a significant exhibit could be established
in Washington DC to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of
Moroccan independence. Rep. Lantos underlined that with
the Millennium Challenge Account compact, he expected a
quantum jump in assistance the U.S. is able to provide to
Morocco, and expressed his hope that the MCA Compact would
correspond well to King Mohammed VI,s Human Development
Initiative.


11. (C) Jettou replied that Morocco would continue
to do everything possible to see that democracy prevails in
the region. He noted that the Moroccan government always
ensures that Israeli delegations are able to participate in
international meetings held in Morocco. He cited the
Euro-Mediterranean dialogue meeting and a recent meeting of
transportation ministers held in Marrakech as examples of
recent events that had included senior Israeli
participation.


12. (C) The issue of students is also an important one to
which the Moroccan government is sensitive, Jettou said,
since students are the ones who will develop relations
between our countries in the future and defend the
principles we are fighting for together today. He

RABAT 00000029 003 OF 004


acknowledged the need to move quickly to return to a
greater number of Moroccan students in the U.S., and noted
that there are several good American schools in Morocco
whose students are admitted to major U.S. universities, and
that there is a U.S. style university in Morocco at
Ifrane. He appreciated any efforts Rep. Lantos or the U.S.
might undertake to expand the number of Moroccans studying
in the U.S. With regard to the MCA compact, Jettou said
that the Moroccan government had presented "a good
dossier," and that he hoped to be able to finalize the
compact by late March or early April. He said he would
count on Rep. Lantos and the Embassy to help the process
move forward.

Western Sahara
--------------


13. (C) Jettou said that Western Sahara remains an
important issue for Morocco, and Morocco is concerned about
what is happening in the sub-Saharan region. He said that
the GOM is watching events in Mauritania closely, and hopes
that greater stability will emerge. Disease, weapons
proliferation and religious extremism are all such that the
region may be a source of instability in the future.
(Comment: Jettou was most likely referring specifically to
the Pan-Sahel region.) He urged continued vigilance. He
underlined that it was out of the question for Morocco to
accept any solution to the conflict over the Western Sahara
other than integration with Morocco, although the GOM is
ready to discuss broad autonomy for the people of the
region. He pointed out that Morocco has invested heavily
in the territory, in areas such as health care, roads and
education, to ensure that development in the Western Sahara
is as advanced as that in other parts of Morocco. He
requested Rep. Lantos, help for a rapid solution to the
conflict which "freezes" development in the region.


14. (C) Rep. Lantos said that when he had last
spoken with President Bouteflika, Bouteflika had indicated
his willingness to help. Rep. Lantos said he would raise
this matter with Secretary Rice. He expressed his
disappointment that former Secretary Baker,s extensive
efforts as the UN Secretary General,s personal envoy had
failed. He observed that it may be time to resuscitate
U.S. involvement in finding a resolution to the conflict.
He expressed his conviction that autonomy offers the only
realistic solution. He said that he intended to return to
Algeria to see President Bouteflika and would see if he
could make any headway.


15. (C) The Moroccans were predictably downbeat over lunch
about prospects for better relations with Bouteflika. They
stressed that while he was trying to shed some of his
socialist legacy, Bouteflika still enjoyed credibility among
the "old leftists." This was one reason, for example, why
Qadhafi went to Algiers to accept an honorary degree. The
Moroccans assessed that with high oil prices, Bouteflika was
convinced he was under no pressure to compromise with Morocco
on the Western Sahara. PM Jettou sounded the one optimistic
note, recounting that Bouteflika had chided Venezuelan
President Chavez for his strident anti-Americanism during the
Arab-Latin American summit meeting last year in South
America. "That was the good Bouteflika," quipped Fassi
Fihri.

Libya
--------------


16. (C) In response to Jettou,s question regarding
Libya, Rep. Lantos said that his upcoming visit to Tripoli
would be his sixth visit in two years, and followed on a
discussion two weeks earlier with Saif Qadhafi, who has the
potential to be a positive force. Jettou replied that he
had visited Libya twice in the past year, and had noticed
major changes in Libyan positions. Last month he had
received Libyan Prime Minister Shalgam, who had lived in
Austria and the U.S. and, Jettou believed, is
open-minded. Jettou continued that the PM, whom he
described as "wise and moderate...no complexes," was behind
many of the reforms in Libya. "We appreciate him
extensively," Jettou concluded. Lantos agreed with

RABAT 00000029 004 OF 004


Jettou,s assessment, noting that the Libyan PM had studied
at Tufts University, where his chief of staff had also
studied.

Syria
--------------


17. (C) Over lunch the two sides exchanged views on what
had motivated former Syrian VP Khaddam to denounce the Assad
regime in Syria. While the conversation was mostly
speculative, the Moroccans generally agreed that Khaddam was
not making a play for leadership in Syria but rather was
seeking to rehabilitate himself internationally. In a later
meeting with Rep. Lantos (septel),Benaissa termed Khaddam,s
actions a "bomb" for the region, the repercussions of which
were not yet fully understood.

Economic Issues
--------------


18. (C) Turning to economic matters, Jettou
expressed appreciation for Ambassador Riley,s efforts to
help expand investment in Morocco. Implementation of the
reforms necessary for the FTA had not been easy for
Morocco, but he was happy to have been able to fulfill his
FTA commitments to the U.S. Jettou then described Morocco,s
four major economic objectives: to liberalize the economy
and increase Morocco,s attractiveness to
international investors; to modernize industry to make
Morocco competitive; to overcome "social deficits"
including poverty, unemployment and lack of access to
essential services for people in rural areas; and, to
reduce public spending and make public enterprises more
suitable for privatization.


19. (C) Comment: The conversation was warm,
cordial and substantive. PM Jettou clearly recognized the
importance of engagement with Congress, and the HIRC on
which Rep. Lantos serves as ranking member, as critical to
Morocco,s overall relationship with the U.S. The GOM would
undoubtedly welcome increased congressional interest in a
resolution to the Western Sahara conflict on terms
favorable to Morocco, given the Polisario,s success in
attracting support from Members of Congress. The GOM also
will seek congressional support for rapid conclusion of a
Millennium Challenge Account compact. Jettou clearly took
on board Rep. Lantos, emphasis on the value of establishing
an Israeli office in Rabat, which is a subject we will
continue to raise with the GOM. End Comment.


20. (C) This cable was cleared with Rep. Lantos, party.

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