U/S FORE ENCOURAGES MALDIVIAN PRESIDENT TO PROCEED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000429 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/INS, USPACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV MV SUBJECT: U/S FORE ENCOURAGES MALDIVIAN PRESIDENT TO PROCEED WITH ROADMAP FOR POLITICAL REFORM Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr. for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (c) Summary: In a friendly 30-minute meeting on March 7, Under Secretary of State for Management Henrietta Fore urged Maldivian President Gayoom to support the political reform efforts of the Foreign Minister and Attorney General. Gayoom expressed confidence that his government's dialogue with the MDP opposition party would help accelerate the passage of reform legislation. Gayoom cited three principal challenges facing the Maldives: ushering in liberal modern democracy, recovering from the tsunami, and protecting the environment from the effects of global warming, particularly increases in sea level. He welcomed the prospect of additional educational cooperation with the U.S., and noted Maldivian plans to open an Embassy in Washington within a month. U/S Fore urged Foreign Minister Shaheed to open personally the Embassy and meet the range of non governmental organizations such as the Asia Foundation, Asia Society and others that might be interested in expanding their activities in the Maldives. End Summary. Thanks for U.S. Assistance -------------- ¶2. (C) President Gayoom opened by thanking the United States for the support it had provided to the Maldives for tsunami relief and earlier programs to support the education SIPDIS of Maldivians. (Note: This refers to an earlier program by the Asia Foundation to provide scholarships for Maldivians to attend the American University in Beirut in the late 70's and 80's. Five members of President Gayoom's present cabinet are graduates of that program.) Turning to the current situation, Gayoom reported that the Maldives GDP grew by 19% in 2006 while tourism arrivals jumped back up to 600,000 during 2007 after experiencing a drop of 35% following the tsunami. He attributed the rebound to tourism promotion SIPDIS efforts and the many international awards received by individual Maldivian resorts. Opposition Dialogue Unblocking Political Stalemate -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) U/S Fore congratulated the President on the country's progress. She noted how impressed she was with the political reform roadmap and urged the President to support as much as �0A;possible the reform efforts of the Foreign Minister and Attorney General. Gayoom thanked President Bush for the administration's support of the roadmap and said he would welcome any technical assistance the U.S. might wish to provide. He expressed satisfaction with the talks underway with the opposition MDP party. He told U/S Fore a new round of meetings was scheduled to start that day on three separate tracks; the Maldivian constitution, Maldivian laws, and the broader reform agenda. U/S Fore asked if the reform process faces obstacles. Gayoom acknowledged that reform legislation had experienced delays in the Special Majlis (constitutional legislature),but expressed confidence that the government's dialogue with the MDP would help unblock some of the obstacles. U/S Fore welcomed the President's prognosis, adding that political reform would help propel the country's progress. President Gayoom agreed and explained that key components from his perspective include "complete" media freedom, strengthening of human rights, and judicial reform. U/S Fore briefed the President on media training the USG had sponsored, adding that the U.S. was seeking to encourage U.S. speakers on moderate Islam. Gayoom agreed that such speakers would be helpful as the Maldives was a moderate Islamic nation that faces challenges from external elements. Challenges -------------- ¶4. (C) U/S Fore asked the President what he saw as the country's major challenges. Gayoom cited three: ushering in liberal modern democracy, recovering from the tsunami, and protecting the environment from the effects of global warming, particularly increases in sea level. With respect to the drug problem in the Maldives, Gayoom characterized it COLOMBO 00000429 002 OF 002 as significant and expressed appreciation for the efforts of a private American company to help with rehabilitation. U/S Fore asked whether the Maldives had considered establishing a separate Drug Enforcement Agency. Gayoom responded that this was under consideration. (NOTE: In subsequent meetings with the Foreign Minister and others, we learned that the responsibility for drug abuse issues recently has come under the energetic Minister for Gender and Family, while the Commissioner of Police retains control over drug enforcement and interdiction. End Note) More Education Cooperation Needed -------------- ¶5. (C) Turning to the future the President told U/S Fore that he has a "Vision 20-20." Part of that vision is to become a middle income country within three years. U/S Fore commended the economic progress made by the Maldives and asked whether expanded educational cooperation with the U.S. would be of interest. The President enthusiastically responded that it would. The Ambassador described Embassy plans to: a) seek authorization for a full-time representative from the US Educational Foundation in Male to explain scholarship and other US educational opportunities to young Maldivians; and b) more vigorously promote American education as part of a week long trade promotion effort in early summer. New Diplomatic Missions -------------- ¶6. (C) Gayoom welcomed these initiatives and noted that Maldives would be opening its embassy in Washington within a month. He expressed hope that the US would open a mission of its own in Male. U/S Fore responded that the opening of a small American Presence Post was under consideration. With respect to the opening of the Maldivian Embassy she invited Foreign Minister Shaheed to come to Washington to meet not only State Department officials, but the broad range of non governmental organizations such as the Asia Foundation, Asia Society and others that might be interested in expanding their activities in the Maldives. ¶7. (C) Gayoom responded that he himself had visited New York in 2006 for the UN General Assembly and the high level meeting hosted by former President Clinton. He took the opportunity to thank former Presidents Bush and Clinton for their tsunami relief efforts, but noted the Maldives still has a $70,000,000 budget shortfall for tsunami reconstruction. Priorities include rebuilding homes and harbors as well as restoring livelihoods. He praised the Asia Development Bank and the UN Development Program for the assistance they had extended. At the conclusion of the meeting, President Gayoom presented to U/S Fore a book that Maldives had sponsored to raise awareness about climate change and greenhouse gasses. U/S Fore thanked the President and briefed him on the initiatives of President Bush to address climate change through programs such as a new biofuels initiative with Brazil. BLAKE