Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07RABAT1813
2007-12-05 17:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rabat
Cable title:  

AMU SYG MOVING TO ENHANCE DIALOGUE WITH U.S.,

Tags:  PREL ECIN XA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4407
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHRB #1813/01 3391730
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 051730Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7845
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 5850
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4855
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 3720
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 001813 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR P - U/S BURNS, NEA/RA, AND NEA/MAG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2017
TAGS: PREL ECIN XA
SUBJECT: AMU SYG MOVING TO ENHANCE DIALOGUE WITH U.S.,
DISCUSSES ADVANCING THE SAHARA PROCESS

REF: RABAT 1812

Classified by Ambassador Thomas Riley for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 001813

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR P - U/S BURNS, NEA/RA, AND NEA/MAG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2017
TAGS: PREL ECIN XA
SUBJECT: AMU SYG MOVING TO ENHANCE DIALOGUE WITH U.S.,
DISCUSSES ADVANCING THE SAHARA PROCESS

REF: RABAT 1812

Classified by Ambassador Thomas Riley for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (C) Summary: Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) Secretary-General
El-Habib Benyahya was charged by AMU Foreign Ministers with
pursuing enhanced dialogue with the U.S. during their
November 30 meeting in Rabat, according to both AMU and GOM
sources. The preceding week, Benyahya told the Ambassador
that he saw hope for progress toward regional integration,
despite the challenges. On the Sahara dispute, Benyahya
described a "three-pronged approach" to nudging the parties
toward a settlement, hoping the U.S., the EU, and other AMU
states (other than Algeria and Morocco) could all step up
efforts to advance the Manhasset process. He specifically
asked for U/S Burns' engagement on the Sahara question.
Benyahya also elaborated on his view that economic
cooperation was the most promising driver for Maghreb unity
and integration (reftel). End summary.


2. (C) The Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) hosted a Foreign
Ministers' meeting in Rabat November 30. The Foreign
Ministers (Algeria and Tunisia were represented by Deputy
Ministers) charged AMU Secretary-General El-Habib Benyahya
with pursuing enhanced dialogue with the U.S. according to
Zoheir Merchaoui, Benyahya's senior staffer. He added that
Benyahya has assigned several working groups coordinated by
the AMU secretariat in Rabat to consult with member states
and develop ideas for substantive cooperation with the U.S.
Benyahya hopes to carry these proposals with him for
presentation to USG interlocutors during a visit to
Washington he hopes to undertake in the first quarter of

2008.


3. (C) During a pre-ministerial meeting November 26 with
Ambassador Riley, Benyahya said AMU activities in a range of
areas offered grounds for optimism for the cause of regional
integration in the Maghreb region, despite formidable
challenges. Benyahya explained that his overall strategy was
to help leaders of the region identify their broad areas of
common interest and focus efforts on advancing them.
Following the example of those who constructed the European
Union, he relayed, "we are following a step by step process
and putting the most difficult questions to the side."


4. (C) At the same time, Benyahya stressed that he was not
underestimating the difficulty of removing the obstacles to
regional integration. "We are conscious of the irony of
having a closed border (between Morocco and Algeria)." On
the Sahara dispute, the principal political obstacle in the
region, Benyahya emphasized that he was careful not to offer
his own opinions on the nature of a final settlement and
generally endeavored to navigate the AMU around the question.



5. (C) Nevertheless, Benyahya said he hoped the issue would
be on the agenda when the AMU Foreign Ministers met in Rabat
on November 30. Going further, he confided that he had been
quietly pursuing a "three-pronged strategy" intended to
produce a thaw among the stalemated parties. He said U/S
Burns had pledged, on the margins of the AMU Foreign
Ministers meeting he hosted in New York in late September, to
try to nudge Algeria and Morocco into dialogue, which
Benyahya hoped could inject greater confidence between the
parties. U/S Burns' New York initiative had been a welcome
and constructive opportunity, he said. "Please tell him we
really need his help now," he stated.


6. (C) Benyahya said he had also secured a pledge from EU
External Affairs Minister Ferraro-Waldner on the margins of
the Euro-Med Ministerial in Lisbon on November 5 to nudge the
parties to the Sahara dispute toward a resolution. In
addition to EU and U.S. encouragement, Benyahya said that
President Ben Ali had promised him in late November that he
would talk to Morocco and Algeria about bridging the gaps in
their positions. Ben Ali further undertook to talk to
Qaddafi about doing the same, Benyahya stated.


7. (C) Comment: The AMU has clearly taken up the USG's
initiative at enhancing our partnership. Although as an
institution it concentrates predominately on economic issues
(septel),it is one of the only vehicles for enhancing
regional unity and addressing the senselessly poor relations
between Morocco and Algeria. We welcome the prospect of
increased USG engagement. End comment.


RABAT 00001813 002 OF 002




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Riley