GOALS FOR UPCOMING EXPANDED IRAQ NEIGHBORS

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 005191

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ RS
SUBJECT: GOALS FOR UPCOMING EXPANDED IRAQ NEIGHBORS
MINISTERIAL IN ISTANBUL

REF: STATE 149172

Classified By: Political M/C Alice Wells for reasons 1.4 (b/d).


1. (C) We delivered reftel demarche on October 26 to MFA
Middle East and North Africa Department Director Sergey
Vershinin. Vershinin expressed appreciation for U.S. efforts
to keep the GOR informed of U.S. goals for the upcoming
Expanded Iraq Neighbors Ministerial and to seek agreement on
establishing a support mechanism for the Neighbors process.
Vershinin understood the support mechanism to be a variant of
the "secretariat" proposed by the GOR during the first
Neighbors meeting in May at Sharm el Sheikh. He requested
clarification on whether such a body would include the
Neighbors or the Expanded Neighbors, as the former would not
include Russia, while suggesting the support mechanism be
based outside Iraq, given that many of the Iraq Neighbors do
not currently have diplomatic missions in Baghdad.


2. (C) Vershinin told us the GOR looked forward to PM
al-Maliki's update on his government's efforts to achieve
national reconciliation, including progress made on a range
of political and economic issues. Vershinin expressed GOR
interest in a communique by Ministerial participants
supporting Iraqi efforts.
Burns