CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): HOST COUNTRY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001732 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP, ISN/CB E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2017 TAGS: PARM PREL KTIA CWC AE SUBJECT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): HOST COUNTRY AGREEMENT UAE RESPONSE REF: SECSTATE 140220 Classified By: Martin Quinn Deputy Chief of Mission for reasons 1.4 (b & d). ¶1. (C/NF) Econchief met with MFA International Organizations Director Yacub Al-Hosani on October 18 to discuss the host country agreement negotiations and to propose a meeting during the CWC Conference of the States Parties (November 5-9). Al-Hosani confirmed that the UAE would send a delegation to the meeting and tentatively agreed to a meeting of the delegations. He noted that he was not an expert on the agreement, but reiterated that some in the UAEG had concerns about why the UAE needed to give the USG "an exception" to the agreement. Al-Hosani asked how many countries world-wide had signed the agreement -- information on which, he noted, might help convince skeptics in the UAEG. Econchief noted that a regional country had signed the agreement, which Al-Hosani seemed to be aware of. Econchief, drawing from talking points, added that the CWC provisions offered no guidance on how state parties would conduct a challenge inspection when the assets of more than one state party had been included in the mandate. Econchief suggested that the UAE send someone to the meeting who understood the UAEG's concerns in detail. Al-Hosani took the suggestion on board. SISON