IRAQI AMBASSADOR VISITS KOREA, URGES ECONOMIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 001231 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2021 TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID JA KR IQ SUBJECT: IRAQI AMBASSADOR VISITS KOREA, URGES ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE Classified By: DCM Joe Donovan for Reasons 1.4 b/d ¶1. (C) Summary. Iraqi Ambassador to Japan, Al-Jumaily, visited Seoul February 22-25 to express appreciation for and encourage further support in reconstruction, discuss future Korean military engagement, and notify MOFAT of Iraq's intention to reopen its embassy in Seoul. As he has done in Japan, Al-Jumaily stressed the importance of economic reconstruction to coincide with security assistance. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Iraqi Ambassador to Japan Ghanim Al-Jumaily visited Seoul February 22-24, at the request of Foreign Minister Zebari. According to Ambassador Al-Jumaily, the purpose of the visit was to: 1) show appreciation for Korea's support in reconstruction; 2) engage in dialogue as Korea considers its future military engagement; 3) encourage Korean involvement in Iraq's economic reconstruction; and 4) get the ball rolling for opening an Iraqi embassy in Seoul. Al-Jumaily, an Amcit and former NASA scientist, told Poloff on March 6 the visit was "very productive." ¶3. (C) In terms of Korean troops, Al-Jumaily reported that First Vice Minister Yu Myung-hwan promised "Korea will remain in Iraq as long as Iraq needs Korea." Despite the Korean parliament extending the mission for only one year, Yu told Al-Jumaily "Our commitment is going to continue." Yu also told him that South Korea intends to participate in the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) to which the U.S. invited it, although Al-Jumaily could not remember the proposed location. Al-Jumaily thanked Yu and said Yu's comments were what he was hoping to hear, however he also wanted to encourage Seoul to become more actively involved in the economic side of the reconstruction process. (Note: Al-Jumaily has been making the same appeal to Japanese officials for several months, saying he expresses appreciation for the Self-Defense Forces mission, but that now he describes the top three things Iraq needs from Japan as: "economics, economics and economics." End Note.) Yu replied that Korea's travel ban to Iraq restricts what Korean businesses can do, but added the ban is "under review" and that Seoul is now studying ways to get more actively involved in economic reconstruction. ¶4. (C) In his meeting with Ministry of Construction & Transportation Assistant Minister Seo Jong-dai, Al-Jumaily pressed for Korean companies to get involved in reconstruction. One idea Al-Jumaily suggested (as he has done in Japan) was for Korean companies to form partnerships, either with the public or private sector in Iraq, to tap into local expertise. Al-Jumaily delivered the same plea for engagement to the President of the Korean National Oil Corporation, he said, and discussed possibilities for how to implement a Memorandum of Understanding which had been signed between KNOC and Iraq's Oil Ministry. Ambassador Al-Jumaily also met with Ministry of Education and Human Resources Director General Lee Byung-hyun, and urged Lee to consider providing teacher/administrator training. ¶5. (C) Al-Jumaily informed Yu that Iraq intends to re-open its embassy in Seoul, which has been closed since 1994, before the end of the year. He told Poloff that he has been pushing Baghdad to open the Seoul embassy as early as is possible. SCHIEFFER