IRANIAN PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD'S MAY 13-14 VISIT TO

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 000780

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/IR, NEA/ARP, INS/CPI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2017
TAGS: PREL KNNP IR IZ AE
SUBJECT: IRANIAN PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD'S MAY 13-14 VISIT TO
THE UAE

REF: A. ABU DHABI 737

B. ABU DHABI 779

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Classified By: CDA MARTIN QUINN, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (S) Summary. On May 13, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin
Zayed Al-Nahyan received Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad with full ceremony in the first-ever visit to the
UAE by an Iranian head of state. Meetings reportedly focused
on increasing economic ties and cooperation on regional
issues such as Iraqi security and establishment of a joint
ministerial committee. During a May 13 address at the
Iranian Club football stadium in Dubai and again at a May 14
press conference in Abu Dhabi, Ahmadinejad made
characteristic inflammatory remarks directed towards the U.S.
Ahmadinejad left the UAE on May 14 for Oman. Neither the
issue of the disputed islands nor the matter of the
Iran-bound Chinese containers, currently being held in Dubai,
seems to have been raised. End Summary.

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POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE AT HEAD OF STATE
AIRPORT ARRIVAL CEREMONY; FORMATION OF
JOINT UAE-IRAN MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE
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2. (C) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in the
UAE on Sunday, May 13, accompanied by Iranian Foreign
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Labor Minister Mohammed
Jahromi, to a full-blown Head of State airport reception
complete with honor guard and band playing the national
anthems. On arrival Ahmadinejad was greeted and embraced by
UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice
President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum (MbR). The Iranian president was conducted to
Khalifa's residence at Al Bateen Palace for introduction to
UAE ruling family and ministers and hosted at a formal lunch.
Subsequently he was escorted on a windshield tour of Dubai
with MbR himself behind the wheel. Coverage of the visit on
Abu Dhabi and Dubai TV stations Sunday evening was extensive,
even celebratory. UAE media reported that the presidential
meetings reviewed bilateral relations in general, with
particular attention paid to trade and the economy; both
presidents stated that they want to open wider avenues of
joint economic cooperation. (Note: The UAE is Iran's largest
non-oil trading partner accounting for over $7.5 billion in
non-oil imports from the UAE last year. End Note.) In
speaking to the press following the meeting with President
Khalifa, Ahmadinejad stated that Iran has "no restrictions"
on its expansion of ties with the UAE, stating that he
considers the UAE's "progress and prosperity as our own."
Khalifa added that the UAE intends to boost its "age-old"
historical ties with Iran, and announced the formation of a
"joint ministerial committee" to be headed by the Foreign
Ministers of the two countries.


3. (U) Khalifa called on the broader international community
to "take into serious consideration in all its related
resolutions the collective interest of all the countries in
the region." The UAE President is reported to have
emphasized to Ahmadinejad the importance of reconciling Iraqi
factions, and the need to revive the Middle East Peace
Process establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as
its capital. Ahmadinejad praised the "balanced policies" of
the UAEG stating: "Such wise policies enabled the UAE to
achieve development in all aspects of life, and helped create
a shining example for others to emulate."

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DUBAI STADIUM SPEECH: "AMERICA, LEAVE
THE REGION!"
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4. (SBU) Following the lunch in Abu Dhabi, Vice President and
Dubai Ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum accompanied
Ahmadinejad to Dubai for meetings, where the Iranian stressed
economic and social development as the keys to peace,
stability, and co-existence in the Gulf.
Addressing a May 13 evening gathering, reported to have
numbered in the thousands, at the Iranian Club football
stadium in Dubai, Ahmadinejad called on GCC states to abandon
their military alliances with the U.S. and pointing his
remarks at America hurled the following defiance: "Every
time your name is mentioned, America, hatred builds up. Go
fix yourself. This is Iran's advice to you. Leave the
region."

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MORE ANTI-U.S. BARBS AT ABU DHABI

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PRESS CONFERENCE
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5. (SBU) During an Abu Dhabi press conference at the Emirates
Palace Hotel on the morning of May 14, Ahmadinejad delivered
a characteristically inflammatory statement indicating that
Iran would retaliate in the event of an American strike while
noting that Iran had agreed to meet the U.S. in Baghdad for
"the sake of the Iraqi people." Ahmadinejad was quoted as
saying: "They (the U.S.) cannot strike Iran; the Iranian
people can protect themselves and retaliate. They (the
Americans) should understand that if they should make this
mistake, the retaliation of the Iranian people will be severe
and they will repent."


6. (C) Members of the UAE party at Al Bateen Palace lunch
included Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan (MbZ),and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin
Zayed Al-Nahyan (HbZ). It is post's impression that no other
recent visitor to the UAE has received quite such a large
reception with so much accompanying publicity in the media.
According to a local diplomatic observer, the UAE's warm
response to the Iranian President reflects nothing so much as
its fear of provoking its larger neighbor.


7. (U) The following members of the ruling Al-Nahyan family
are reported to have attended the Al-Bateen May 13 arrival
lunch:
--Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the
Armed Forces Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
--Deputy Prime Minister Hamdan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan,
--National Security Advisor Hazza bin Zayed Al-Nahyan,
--Interior Minister Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan,
--Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan,
--Minister of Presidential Affairs Mansour bin Zayed
Al-Nahyan,
--Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court Hamed bin Zayed
Al-Nahyan,
--Chairman of the Zayed Foundation Ahmed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan,
--Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Emiri Flight Authority Tahnoun
bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, and
--Abu Dhabi Eastern Region Representative Tahnoun bin
Mohammed Al-Nahyan.
Also present were Federal National Council Speaker Abdul Aziz
Al-Ghurair, Minister of Economy Sheikha Lubna Al-Qassimi,
Social Affairs Minister Mariam Al-Roumi, and Minister of
State for Cabinet Affairs Mohammed Al-Gergawi. UAE
Ambassador to Iran Khalifa Shaheen Al-Mirri was also present
with the new Iranian ambassador to the UAE Hamid Reza Asafi.

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ABOUT THOSE CONTAINERS
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8. (S) In May 14 conversation with MFA Director of
International Organizations Yacoub Al-Hosani, EconChief
inquired about the status of the three Iranian-bound
containers, that were being held by the UAE. Al-Hosani
stated that, to the best of his knowledge, the Iranians had
not raised the issue. He added that the UAE preferred to
deal with the subject at a "technical rather than political"
level. He reiterated that the UAE would not release two
containers until the Chinese authorities had the opportunity
to decide what to do with them. One container was being
shipped in clear violation of UNSCRs 1737 and 1747 and would
need to be returned to China. Any request by the Iranians to
release the containers would be turned down.

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NEXT STOP OMAN
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9. (C) Local sources report that Ahmadinejad spent the night
at the Mushrif Palace Guest House in Abu Dhabi and then he
departed for Oman May 14 afternoon arriving in Muscat at
about 16:30 local time, where he was met by the Omani Deputy
Prime Minister.

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COMMENT:
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10. (C) Reflecting on the Ahmadinejad visit, Acting MFA U/S
Tariq Al-Haidan, veteran UAE diplomat who served 10 years in
Tehran, told CDA that "it went well," hinting that its timing
may reflect UAE interest in balancing the impact of Vice
President Cheney's recent visit. Al-Haidan said that despite
a press rumor in Saudi-owned Arabic daily Al Sharq Al Awsat
that the visit might produce an initiative with regard to Abu
Mousa Island, the entire UAE-Iran islands dispute was never
raised by either side. Al-Haidan volunteered that

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Ahmadinejad had confirmed to the UAE Iran's intention to meet
with the U.S. in Baghdad on the question of Iraq's security.
QUINN