CHARGE,S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON FOREIGN MINISTER

S E C R E T NOUAKCHOTT 000487 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/29/2017 TAGS: IS MARR MR PGOV PHUM PREL SUBJECT: CHARGE,S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON FOREIGN MINISTER CLASSIFIED BY: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES STEVEN KOUTSIS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: THE CHARGE PAID AN INTRODUCTORY CALL MAY 22 TO THE NEWLY APPOINTED MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND COOPERATION MOHAMED SALECK OULD MOHAMED LEMINE. THE MINISTER SAID U.S.-MAURITANIAN RELATIONS WERE "IMBALANCED" TOWARD POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT AND HOPED THAT THE USG COULD PROVIDE COMMENSURATE ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE. CHARGE DISCUSSED PROCESSES UNDER WAY RELATED TO AGOA AND TSCTP AND ENCOURAGED MAURITANIA TO PARTICIPATE IN MCC. THE MINISTER CONFIRMED HIS GOVERNMENTS INTEREST IN CONTINUING A DIALOGUE ON THE THREE MAURITANIAN GUANTANAMO BAY DETAINEES BUT STOPPED SHORT OF EITHER CONFIRMING THE CITIZENSHIP OF THE DETAINEE ELIGIBLE FOR TRANSFER, OR COMMITTING HIS GOVERNMENT TO RECEIVING THAT DETAINEE. THE MINISTER SOUGHT USG ASSISTANCE FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIALS. THE TONE OF THE MEETING WAS CONGENIAL, THOUGH THE FOREIGN MINISTER PERSISTENTLY SUGGESTED DISSATISFACTION WITH THE CURRENT LEVEL OF U.S. ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE TO MAURITANIA. END SUMMARY. QUIET DEMANDS FOR INCREASED ASSISTANCE -------------- ¶2. (C) THE FOREIGN MINISTER CITED MAURITANIA,S CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED STATES ON SUCH ISSUES AS TERRORISM, DRUG TRAFFICKING, AND INTERNATIONAL CRIME. HE NOTED MAURITANIA'S CONTINUED WESTERN-LEANING POLICIES, INCLUDING CONTINUED RECOGNITION OF ISRAEL DESPITE THE LACK OF DOMESTIC SUPPORT. HOWEVER, THERE IS AN &IMBALANCE8 BETWEEN OUR POLITICAL COOPERATION AND ECONOMIC SUPPORT, AND NOTED HIS GOVERNMENT,S HOPE THAT THE UNITED STATES, ECONOMIC INVOLVEMENT IN MAURITANIA WILL RISE TO THE LEVEL OF ITS POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT. HE NOTED SPECIFICALLY THAT EGYPT AND JORDAN RECEIVE SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF U.S. AID. ¶3. (C) CHARGE NOTED THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S REMARKS DURING HIS STAY IN NOUAKCHOTT ABOUT OUR DESIRE TO RE-ENGAGE WITH MAURITANIA ON ECONOMIC MATTERS, AND HAD SAID THAT WE WOULD TRY TO RESUME AGOA BENEFITS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE EMBASSY IS WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO THAT END. THE CHARGE ALSO NOTED THAT THE TRANS-SAHARAN COUNTERTERRORISM PARTNERSHIP (TSCTP) PROGRAM, WHICH WILL BE STARTING IN A FEW WEEKS, ALSO CONTAINS ELEMENTS OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION. HOWEVER, THE BEST WAY TO RECEIVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ECONOMIC SUPPORT IS THROUGH THE MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION. WHILE MAURITANIA MAY NOT BE IMMEDIATELY ELIGIBLE FOR MCA COMPACT FUNDING, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD LOOK INTO PARTICIPATING IN THE MCC THRESHOLD PROGRAM. HE PROMISED THAT THE EMBASSYS NEW ECONOMIC OFFICER, ARRIVING SOON, WILL MAKE THIS A PRIORITY. GUANTANAMO DETAINEES -------------- ¶4. (S) THE CHARGE SOUGHT CLARIFICATION ON THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION ON THE THREE MAURITANIAN CITIZENS CURRENTLY DETAINED AT GUANTANAMO BAY. HE NOTED THAT THE EMBASSY HAD MADE A FORMAL DEMARCHE ON ONE OF THE DETAINEES ON APRIL 24, AND EMPHASIZED THE UNITED STATES, INTEREST IN TAKING THE APPROPRIATE PROCEDURES TO TRANSFER THIS DETAINEE. HE ALSO UNDERSTOOD THAT THE MAURITANIAN AMBASSADOR IN WASHINGTON HAD RECENTLY RAISED THE ISSUE WITH THE NSC. FM LEMINE CONFIRMED HE INSTRUCTED AMBASSADOR TIJANI TO PURSUE DISCUSSIONS ON THE THREE DETAINEES. CHARGE NOTED THAT HE HAD INSTRUCTIONS FOR ONE DETAINEE ONLY, AND THAT WOULD BE A GOOD BEGINNING. THE FOREIGN MINISTER REPLIED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS UNDER SOME PRESSURE TO ASSIST ITS CITIZENS BEING HELD IN GUANTANAMO AS A &MORAL OBLIGATION,8 SO THE GOVERNMENT WISHES TO ENGAGE THE U.S. EITHER TO SEEK THEIR RELEASE OR OTHER MEASURES SUCH AS CONSULAR ACCESS. IF THEY FAIL, THEY CAN SAY THEY TRIED. ¶5. (C) AT THE SAME TIME, THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT YET MADE A FINAL DETERMINATION ON THE THIRD DETAINEE'S CITIZENSHIP, AND IS STILL INVESTIGATING, BUT THE MINISTER ADDED &HE IS LIKELY A MAURITANIAN.8 FURTHER, THE GOVERNMENT HAD RECEIVED A SAMPLE TRANSFER AGREEMENT, AND THEY ARE CONCERNED THAT THE TERMS ARE TOO RESTRICTIVE SUCH THAT THEY COULD BE ACCUSED OF FAILING IN THEIR AGREEMENT IF THE DETAINEE ENGAGES IN TERRORIST ACTIVITIES IN THE FUTURE. NO MAURITANIAN AMISOM SUPPORT IN SHORT TERM -------------- ¶6. (C) THE CHARGE NOTED THAT THE USG HAS RAISED THE POSSIBILITY OF MAURITANIAN SUPPORT FOR THE PEACEKEEPING MISSION IN SOMALIA (AMISOM). THE FOREIGN MINISTER NOTED THAT THE SITUATION IN SOMALIA IS DIFFICULT AND EMPHASIZED THAT THE GOVERNMENT MUST REFLECT BEFORE CONTRIBUTING TROOPS. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE -------------- ¶7. (U) THE CHARGE ACKNOWLEDGED THE MFA,S INTEREST IN RECEIVING ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING ASSISTANCE FOR ITS OFFICIALS, AND EXPRESSED THE EMBASSY'S WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST, BUT EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPLEMENTING COST-EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS BASED ON A SOUND OPERATIONAL PLAN. THE CHARGE NOTED THAT IMMERSION PROGRAMS AT U.S. SCHOOLS MAY BE USEFUL TO TRAIN STAFF WHO HAVE AN IMMEDIATE NEED FOR ENGLISH, BUT LANGUAGE CLASSES IN MAURITANIA WOULD BE MORE EFFICACIOUS TO TRAIN STAFF WITH LESS URGENT NEEDS. THE CHARGE INDICATED THAT THE EMBASSY COULD LOOK INTO A MIX OF THE TWO PROGRAMS. THE MINISTER ADMITTED THAT THE MFA HAD NOT DEVELOPED LISTS OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD REQUIRE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING BUT NOTED THAT THEIR EMBASSY HAD LOCATED SEVERAL SCHOOLS IN THE WASHINGTON AREA THAT COULD PROVIDE THE LANGUAGE TRAINING THEY WERE SEEKING. ¶8. (C) COMMENT: THE FOREIGN MINISTER SEEMED RATHER BLUNT IN THIS INTRODUCTORY VISIT ABOUT WHAT HE EXPECTED FROM THE U.S. IN TERMS OF ASSISTANCE. WHILE HE NEVER SAID SO DIRECTLY, HIS IMPLICATION THAT MAURITANIA'S CONTINUED DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL SHOULD BE TIED TO ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE IS ALSO DISTURBING. HE ALSO MADE QUITE CLEAR THAT IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT FOR HIS GOVERNMENT TO BE SEEN TRYING TO HELP ITS NATIONALS IN GUANTANAMO THAN ACTUALLY RECEIVING THEM. FINALLY, WHILE WE AGREE THAT THE MFA OFFICIALS GENERALLY NEED BETTER ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS, IT SEEMS THE MFA SEES THIS TRAINING MORE AS A PERK FOR STAFF THAN A STRATEGIC GOAL. ¶9. COMMENT CONTINUED: IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS GOVERNMENT WANTS TO MAKE QUICK AND VISIBLE PROGRESS ON ALL FRONTS TO PROVE THAT THE DEMOCRATIC EXPERIMENT IS WORKING. WHILE WE SHARE THIS GOAL, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS FLAILING ABOUT SOMEWHAT IN ITS ATTEMPT TO MAKE PROGRESS AND IN THE PROCESS MAKING SOME HASTY DECISIONS. WE HAVE SEEN THIS RECENTLY IN THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORT TO PUSH PARTNERS TO CONTRIBUTE 20,000 METRIC TONS OF FOOD FOR AN UNVERIFIED 700,000 FOOD-INSECURE PEOPLE. WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO GUIDE THE GOVERNMENT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. END COMMENT. KOUTSIS